NEW ORLEANS (March 23, 2008) — New Orleans media reported that three people were shot in New Orleans on Saturday, maintaining the “New Orleans brand” name. Since no mention was found in local media of an incident which should be reported to the public due to its severity (and also as a reminder to drive carefully) the following is an account, to the best of my recollection, from the scene:

An accident on Saturday at Martin Luther King Blvd. and S. Claiborne Avenue around 3:25 PM injured two pedestrians and the driver of a cotton candy concession truck parked at a sidewalk corner. One man appeared to be seriously injured, lying next to the rear wheels of the concession truck.

A vehicle driven by a woman with a toddler inside traveling eastbound on South Claiborne Avenue careened into the parking lot of a closed Church’s Chicken restaurant. According to witnesses one of those injured was a woman selling easter baskets from an SUV parked inside the parking lot and near the concession truck at the corner. The woman was lying face down as a man on a cell phone tried to comfort her and emergency personnel arrived on the scene.

Another victim, a man about 40 years old, who appeared to be the most seriously injured, was lying face down in a large pool of blood beside the rear wheels near a large gaping hole in the concession truck as police and EMTs arrived on the scene. The full extent of his injuries was unknown, but he had a huge gash across the forehead and was barely conscious.

The concession truck driver was conscious but walking with a bloodied leg and face. The driver of the vehicle that crashed into the sidewalk and the toddler did not appear to be injured. The cause of the accident or actual conditions of the victims are not known.

Please remember to always drive alert, safely, carefully, and defensively, especially during any holiday season.