Troopers said Todd Landry had a blood alcohol level of 0.137% after the Saturday crash in Iberia Parish and was booked on 18 counts of negligent injuring.
NEW IBERIA, La. — A 57-year-old man was arrested Saturday after the car he was driving hit paradegoers at a Lao New Year celebration in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, injuring at least 15 people and sending several victims to hospitals, authorities said.
The crash turned a major holiday weekend into a criminal investigation and a medical emergency for one of south Louisiana’s best-known Lao community gatherings. Louisiana State Police said Todd Landry of Jeanerette was jailed after troopers found signs of impairment and got a breath test showing a blood alcohol level of 0.137%. By Sunday, local officials were still sorting through changing injury counts, the condition of the wounded and the next steps in a case that authorities said did not appear to be intentional.
Authorities said the crash happened at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday during the Louisiana Lao New Year parade near Savannaket Street and Melancon Road, close to festival grounds tied to Lanxang Village and Wat Thammarattanaram. Early videos from the scene showed people sprawled on the pavement, a blue vehicle off the route in a ditch and emergency crews working through the crowd. Firefighters were seen helping at least one person trapped under the vehicle. Acadian Ambulance said it sent 10 ambulances and a helicopter. Rebecca Melancon, a spokesperson for the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, said the preliminary investigation showed the crash “does not appear to be an intentional act.” Even before the full toll was clear, organizers canceled Saturday night concerts and stopped alcohol sales, leaving only a reduced version of the festival as deputies secured the route and families tried to find relatives in hospitals.
State police identified the driver as Landry, 57, and said he showed signs of impairment during the investigation. Troopers said he later gave a breath sample that measured 0.137%, well above the legal limit, and was booked into the Iberia Parish jail on one count of driving while impaired, 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring, careless operation and open container. By Sunday afternoon, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office said 19 people had been evaluated and treated at area hospitals. Seven were admitted, three remained in intensive care, four were transferred to other facilities and eight were treated and released. Officials said all were in stable condition. That update did not fully settle the public count. Earlier reports said around 15 people were hurt, and Acadian Ambulance had said 13 patients were taken to hospitals, including two by air. Authorities have not yet released the victims’ names or ages, and they have not explained in detail why the totals changed.
The setting helps explain why the crash hit the area so hard. Organizers told local television that the Lao New Year Festival has been part of Iberia Parish life for about 40 years. The event, held near a Buddhist temple and the Lanxang Village community, brings together prayer, food, music, dance and family gatherings during the Lao New Year holiday. It also draws visitors from outside the Lao community. Organizer Kinhdavone Phethmanh said, “What we do is to bring our homeland here to America.” Another organizer, Phanat Xanamane, said the celebration centers on renewal and cleansing rituals that mark a new start. In that setting, the crash did more than stop a parade. It broke up a space that families associate with memory, religion and welcome. The festival’s statement Saturday night said organizers were “profoundly saddened” and had shifted all available security resources to the emergency scene while waiting for more information from law enforcement.
The legal case is moving quickly, but much of the public record is still unfinished. Louisiana State Police said the sheriff’s office remains the lead agency and the investigation is active. Troopers asked anyone with information, pictures or video to send them in as detectives work to trace the vehicle’s path and the moments before impact. Authorities have not publicly said how fast the car was going, whether the driver tried to brake, or whether barriers or traffic controls were in place where the vehicle entered the crowd. They also have not released a probable cause affidavit or identified a lawyer for Landry in public reporting reviewed Sunday. The 18 negligent injuring counts suggest prosecutors believe many of the injuries meet the legal threshold for felony charges, but the case could still change as medical records are reviewed and victims’ conditions are updated. For now, the sheriff’s office has said only that Landry was treated for his own injuries, cleared for incarceration and kept in custody while investigators continue to build the case.
By Sunday, the festival grounds had shifted from celebration to a place of worry and restraint. Organizers said they cut back entertainment out of respect for the injured and began talking about stronger safety planning for future events. “We have to be very careful now to make sure that it’s safe for everybody,” Xanamane said in a local interview. Phethmanh urged people not to let anger take over, saying, “Turn that anger to love.” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he and first lady Sharon Landry were praying for those affected and thanked first responders. The words from organizers and officials did not erase what videos had already shown: blood on the street, scattered personal items, stunned bystanders and emergency crews moving quickly through a route that only moments earlier had been lined with families. Residents and festival volunteers were left trying to protect what remained of the weekend’s meaning while waiting for updates from hospitals and investigators.
As of Sunday night, Landry remained jailed, three injured people were still in intensive care and detectives were still reviewing witness accounts, video and medical updates. The next public step is expected to be Landry’s first court appearance and a fuller accounting from investigators of how many people were hurt and how the crash unfolded.
Author note: Last updated April 5, 2026.