Girl dies after being hit by pickup towing float during Christmas parade in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. — A girl died after she was struck by a pickup truck towing a float during a Christmas parade in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday, authorities said.

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According to the Raleigh Police Department, the accident occurred at about 10:14 a.m. in Raleigh, WTVD reported.

Police said that the driver said he lost control of the truck and hit the child at a low rate of speed, according to the television station. The truck, a GMC Denali, was pulling one of two CC & Company floats when it went out of control, according to WTVD. The driver was honking his horn and yelling at people to get out of the way, the television station reported.

The girl was performing with CC & Company Dance Complex, a group that had previously performed in the parade, WRAL-TV reported.

The girl was taken to an area hospital, where she died from her injuries, according to WTVD. Her name and age have not been released.

Police said the driver of the truck is facing charges of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, careless and reckless driving, improper equipment, unsafe movement and carrying a firearm in a parade, the television station reported.

No other parade participants were injured, according to WTVD. The parade was canceled after the incident.

CC & Company had two floats in the parade, with members of the company performing in between them, The News & Observer newspaper of Raleigh reported. The truck pulling the second float was the vehicle that went out of control, according to the newspaper.

“We started dancing in the parade, and then all of a sudden, we just heard a lot of honking,” Olivia Bruce, 14, a member of the dance troupe, told the News & Observer. “And when we turned back, we saw the truck almost on our backs, so we turned away.

“The truck just kept going faster and then it stopped and someone was laid out on the ground. It was pretty close (to me). I moved out in seconds -- almost got hit, too.”

A woman who witnessed the incident told WRAL that the parade scene quickly turned chaotic.

“The girls kept dancing, and then very quickly parted as the truck moved through them. There were more dancers beyond this group. We were all, I think, wondering if it was part of the parade,” the woman told the television station. “Perhaps (the truck) picked up a little bit of speed and it kept honking, and then there was quite a bit more chaos. Everyone started to look confused. I do not know, perhaps the fire engine and other first responders helped stop the truck. I am not clear whether or not someone was hit on the ground.”

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