The New Orleans Police Department has released the name of the driver who was arrested after Saturday night’s crash the injured 28 people.
Police have identified the driver as 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto.
Rizzuto is accused of crashing his truck into a crowd of people attending the Endymion parade at the intersection of N. Carrollton Avenue and Orleans Avenue around 6:45 p.m.
According to police, Rizzuto’s truck was speeding down North Carrollton in the opposite direction of the parade towards City Park when he stuck two vehicles sending one of those vehicles into another vehicle. Rizzuto then lost control of the truck and went over the neutral ground drove into a crowd of people before crashing into a city dump truck.
Rizzuto was arrested at the scene.
NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison stated during a press conference that Rizzuto was “highly intoxicated” at the time of the crash.
According to police, Rizzuto failed a field sobriety test and an alcohol breath test that determined he had a blood alcohol level of .232 percent, nearly three times the legal limit.
Rizzuto has been charged with first degree vehicular negligent injuring, hit and run driving and reckless operation of a vehicle.