Police said the accident happened around 10:14 a.m. near the intersection of Hillsborough Road and Boylan Avenue when the driver said he lost control of the truck. He hit the child at low speed, police said. Despite efforts to save life, the child died. No other participants in the parade were injured. The driver, Landen Christopher Glass, 20, faces charges of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, careless and reckless driving, improper equipment, unsafe driving and carrying a weapon in a parade. People said they heard the driver screaming out the window of the truck that he lost control and could not stop the vehicle. “I just saw them go down the road really fast and you can tell it wasn’t like gas, like they weren’t gassing, it was rolling, kind of rolling down the road. They were shaking, yelling at people to get away a lot as you can tell they were panicked,” said Melissa Stephens who would be attending the parade. A group of people, including some first responders, ran to the truck towing the float to try to stop it. “People came and were helping grab it, slow it down a little bit. They were trying to slow it down when it got to that point,” John Jones said. Christy Curtis, Owner, CC & Company Dance Complex released a statement Saturday night: “We are devastated. Our dance family is a tight-knit group and today our hearts are broken. We are working closely with authorities as they determine what happened and why.” Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said her heart ached for the girl who was injured in the parade. She expressed her regret in a post on Twitter. “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of the young lady who lost her life today in the Raleigh Christmas Parade. Our prayers are with her family, friends and the dancers from CC & Co. The community is here for you as we try to understand and process this shared tragedy.” Gov. Roy Cooper released a statement on twitter sharing his condolences to the family. “Kristin and I are devastated by the tragedy at today’s Raleigh Christmas Parade. At a joyous time on a joyous day, we grieve for this family and their friends as we keep them in our prayers. – RC” “Our hearts and prayers are truly with the family right now and just everyone involved in this event. All we can do is ask people to pray right now and lift them up,” the Jennifer Martin with Shop Local Raleigh said. Raleigh Police’s statement on the incident: “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family and those who witnessed this tragic incident. The victim’s family has requested privacy during this very difficult time.” Raleigh’s Christmas parade has been officially canceled due to the incident. Copyright © 2022 WTVD-TV. All rights reserved.
