Car Rams Into Crowd In New Orleans, Kills 10, Injures 30 Others In US

Serious tragedy struck New Orleans, Louisiana, when an SUV plowed into a crowd celebrating the New Year, killing at least 10 people on the spot.

According to city authorities, the incident that occurred in the city’s French Quarters at around 3:15pm local time, also injured dozens of people.

WGNO said on Wednesday that the area, which has numerous bars and restaurants, is popular with tourists.

“There are 30 injured patients that have been transported by NOEMS [New Orleans Emergency Medical Services] and ten fatalities,” NOLA Ready, the New Orleans official disaster preparedness agency, said in a statement.

A New Orleans Police spokesperson told CBS News earlier that “initial reports show a car may have plowed into a group of people. Injuries are unknown, but there are reported fatalities.”

A man who claimed to have witnessed the event wrote on X that an SUV was “speeding” down the road and “running people over.”

Another witness told a CBS News reporter that after stopping his vehicle, the driver got out and started shooting at the police, with officers returning fire. According to the reporter, there were multiple people on the ground with injuries at the scene.

A man told CNN that he had seen “a truck slamming into everyone on the left side of Bourbon sidewalk… A body came flying at me.”

He also said that he heard gunshots being fired.

Dozens of police officers and paramedics have responded to the incident, which reportedly led to Bourbon Street being shut down.

According to RT, the attack took place as New Orleans is preparing to host the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night.

The iconic college football game, which has been played in the city annually since 1935, gathers thousands of fans from around the US.

This year, the University of Georgia and University of Notre Dame will compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.