Pickup driver purposely causes train crash during Mardi Gras parade, Louisiana cops say
A Louisiana man is accused of causing a train crash after police said he purposely parked his pickup truck on the tracks during a Mardi Gras parade.
The 45-year-old was arrested following the Feb. 15 crash during the Krewe of Titans parade in Slidell, the city’s police department said in a news release.
He was charged with aggravated obstruction of a highway and disturbing the peace, and police said additional charges are expected.
“For reasons still under investigation,” authorities said the man drove his GMC Sierra pickup truck on the railroad and left it as Mardi Gras revelers marched through an intersection.
He proceeded to walk into the crowd and caused a disturbance, including comments that prompted paradegoers to alert police, officers said.
The man was found several blocks away and detained “due to his irrational behavior,” according to police. Soon after, authorities said they received several 911 calls about a freight train slamming into a pickup truck.
“It wasn’t until after the fact that officers realized the two incidents were related,” police said in the release.
Video shared by police showed the mangled truck and heaps of clothing and other belongings scattered in the street.
Officers said no one was injured in the train crash.
“This is the perfect example of a ‘See Something, Say Something’ scenario,” Police Chief Randy Fandal said in a statement.
“We appreciate the individuals who alerted our officers about this man’s behavior,” Fandal said. “We are grateful that nobody was injured during this incident.”
Slidell is about a 30-mile drive northeast from downtown New Orleans.
This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 11:13 AM.