June 3, 2007
Woman Slams Car Into 35 at Southeast D.C. Street Festival
It's been top national news all day, but we're still in shock over the tragedy that occurred last night at Unifest, the Union Temple Baptist Church's large soul-food festival along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. A woman drove her car through the crowded festival and struck at least 40 people. Thirty five people were taken to hospitals, seven with severe injuries. Two of the injured were children younger than 3.
The mayhem happened at about 8 p.m. last night along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and W Streets SE. Witnesses say that a gray station wagon, with a woman driving, mowed through festival goers at 70 mph, and gave no indication of trying to stop. From the Post:
After the vehicle began knocking down members of the crowd, police at the scene jumped on their scooters and bicycles and tried to stop the car, Lanier said.
She said one or two officers were struck when they pulled their scooters in front of the station wagon.
It was not clear what finally caused the station wagon to halt. Lanier said a variety of accounts had been put forward; some suggested that members of the crowd had played a part. One man told reporters that he had dived through the vehicle's window in an effort to bring it to a halt.
It's difficult to comprehend the magnitude of this tragedy, which authorities have said is the worst pedestrian accident in recent memory. According to the AP, some witnesses said Bell may have been smoking something and laughing as she drove through the crowd. It also seems likely that Bell was the same woman who was seen driving erratically and striking an unmarked police cruiser 20 minutes before the rampage -- and police did not pursue her after the incident. The good news is that so far, there have been no fatalities. Mayor Adrian Fenty told the Examiner AP that it does appear that all the victims are going to pull through.
Unifest routinely draws 200,000 visitors each year, and is one of the most popular street festivals in Anacostia. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.
Image by andertho
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I think you might be overblowing this G
Yeah, I just got back from Princeton Reunions and I hadn't heard a thing. I don't even see a mention of it on any of tthe top news sites
Class of '99, you might want to take a closer look in Google News. Currently, they show 408 references to the incident.
Incidentally, what's up with the off-year appearance at Reunions? I never made it back for one of mine until the 15th last year. 8th seems like an odd choice. (And, FWIW, I'm glad I waited. Time does wonders in deflating even the most annoying egos.)
Eh, its a fun way to spend a weekend. And beer, lots of beer
Okay, hands up -- how many people thought the driver would be 75 or 80, not 30?
Actually, Mayor Fenty didn't tell the Examiner anything because they didn't come out to Sunday's press conference. But the AP did, in the rain, and that's where the CNN and Examiner reports originated. Proper credit for the work and the source of the information is appreciated.
This has been a mellow, family-oriented event for years, starting as the "Chitlin Strut, Chicken Stroll," one of the few DC Festivals with no beer and no rowdy drunks. I recall the Rev. Willie Wilson with a broom in his hand, quietly sweeping up at the end of the festival. What a tragedy.
According to The Post, the police stopped the car by throwing two scooters in her path. I guess they found the best use for those Segways.
No one died, right? This morning I heard either Fenty or the ABC7 morning news voice over (while showing footage of Fenty) use the word "casualties". Seems like an important distinction to me...
Bob: "Casualties" refers to the wounded as well as the dead. Blame any confusion on our jaded media.
Speaking of which, the Unifest story deserved more prominent coverage. If 40 people were injured in a Beltway pile-up, the Post would put it above the fold on A1.
They should throw her UNDER the jail! She could have killed so many people! This is the kind of crap that pisses me off...those people were not doing anything wrong and here comes this cracked out idiot ruining the day and possible many lives. No sympathy here, don't just throw the book at her, beat the snot out of her with it!
The police said that she told them that she had been smoking crack all day.
Wonderful.