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- Minivan plows into festival crowd leaving boy fighting for life and injuring two more (the-independent.com)
Harrisburg, PA – A six-year-old boy is fighting for his life after a minivan plowed into a crowd at the Kipona Festival Monday evening. The incident occurred around 6 p.m. as the festival was winding down, sending shockwaves through the community.
A red Honda Odyssey, driven by a 37-year-old woman, breached barricades on South Front Street near the children’s activity area, striking three people. The young boy is in critical condition, according to Mayor Wanda Williams. A woman in a wheelchair and a city traffic engineer also struck by the vehicle are in stable condition.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as the van sped down Front Street, seemingly hitting “anything in her way.” The driver, whose “hella’ kids up in her” bumper sticker stood in stark contrast to the events unfolding, was pursued by police on bicycles for six blocks before crashing into another barricade near the intersection of North Front and Cranberry Streets.
The suspect, wearing a shirt that read “Mom,” was taken into custody. Two child car seats were observed in the vehicle.
Authorities are investigating the incident and have not yet released the suspect’s name or filed formal charges. It remains unclear if anyone else was in the vehicle or if the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Police Captain Akakpo-Martin reassured the public, stating that the city is safe and that these are random acts that are sometimes unavoidable.
The incident has deeply affected the community, with nearby businesses like the Anna Rose Bakery and Coffee Shop closing their doors to allow their staff, some of whom witnessed the event, time to process the trauma. The investigation is ongoing.
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- Minivan plows into festival crowd leaving boy fighting for life and injuring two more (the-independent.com)