An erratic driver who plowed through a Pennsylvania festival while she was allegedly “under the influence” left a 6-year-old boy critically injured with extensive injuries, including a broken jaw and a lacerated spleen, officials said on Tuesday.
The driver, identified Tuesday as 37-year-old Elizabeth Ann Bohrer, allegedly sped past multiple barricades in a red minivan and careened down five blocks of stalls while the Kipona Festival in Harrisburg was concluding over Labor Day weekend.
During her out-of-control rampage, she struck three people, including a wheelchair-bound woman, a man who tried to stop the car, and the young boy — sending all three to the hospital, the Harrisburg mayor said.
The boy suffered a fractured pelvis, broken jaw, lacerated spleen and two broken ribs, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday. He is still in critical condition, local officials said.
The other two adult victims injured are stable, officials added.
At the scene, Bohrer was belligerent and “aggressive towards officers” surrounding her battered minivan, according to the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.
She was also taken to the hospital after authorities observed she “appeared to be ‘out of it’ and gave verbal and visual indicators that she was under the influence,” according to the affidavit.
Her minivan, adorned with a bumper sticker that read “hella’ kids up in here,” was nearly totaled by the end of her berserk blitz through the festival. The hood was dented and one headlight was shattered. The airbags inside also imploded.
Horrified witnesses said that they had no idea the car was even heading towards them until bystanders started screaming and scurrying out of the way.
“This car came flying down through here fast. Not yelling or anything, but just flying down through this,” Lottie Beauverd, a vendor at the festival, told ABC27.
Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams assured that she will be working with city law enforcement, Public Works and festival organizers to better ensure “that the joy of Harrisburg’s events is never overshadowed by fear.”
“Let me be clear: Harrisburg will not tolerate reckless disregard for human life. Our police and emergency responders acted swiftly and courageously, and the individual responsible is now in custody. Justice will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law,” Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams said in a statement obtained by ABC News.
Bohrer is being held in the Dauphin County Prison on $350,000 bond. She faces nine counts total for charges including aggravated assault by vehicle, recklessly endangering another person and driving under the influence of a controlled substance, according to the Harrisburg police.
The Kipona Festival has been held in Harrisburg every year since 1916. What started as a simple water carnival has since advanced into a full-blown palooza complete with vendors, rides, and performances all in recognition of the region’s Native American heritage.
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