South Florida Pride Parade Accident Kills One, Severely Injures Another

Although investigative authorities with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department have yet to confirm the exact motive behind a deadly auto accident at a South Florida pride parade Saturday evening which killed one individual and severely injured another, some spectators who were in the area at the time of the crash stated that it appeared as if the driver had intentionally plowed through the group of LGBTQ+ allies, supporters, revelers, and city leaders.

According to preliminary collision reports from Broward County officials and officers with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, the annual Stonewall Pride Parade was set to start at 7 p.m. near Northeast 21st Court in Wilton Manors. As event coordinators put their finishing touches on the “Out of the Darkness, Into the Light” twilight parade, participants with motor vehicles were instructed to line up and get ready to roll. One such individual was the driver of a pickup truck and member of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus who, for reasons that are currently unknown, stepped on the vehicle’s accelerator and crashed into a group of parade pedestrians who were situated directly in front of the pickup truck. One seriously injured individual was immediately transported to a nearby hospital where they are slowly recovering, however, another person was sadly unable to survive the severity of their injuries and they passed away at the scene of the accident.

As scary as this situation undoubtedly appeared to parade-goers, Justin Knight – the president of the men’s chorus – has made it crystal clear that he does not believe this to be an intentional act of violence against. “Our fellow chorus members were those injured and the driver is also a part of the chorus family. To my knowledge, this was not an attack on the LGBTQ community,” he said in a press release.

As with any accident of this nature, all possible avenues will be thoroughly investigated by local law enforcement agencies.

Since 1977, Broward County auto accident lawyer James O. Cunningham has been representing the victims of serious pedestrian accidents, car crashes, hit-and-run collisions, and drunk driver accidents. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact us today at 386-243-4994 to schedule an appointment.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.