A shocking video shows a California police officer speeding down a holiday parade route on a motorcycle, crashing into a crowd of spectators and injuring at least nine people, while also severing his hand.
According to witnesses speaking to The Desert Sun, the Palm Springs officer allegedly lost control while attempting a trick on the parade route shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday.
According to a Facebook post from the city of Palm Springs, ten individuals, including the officer whose name has not been disclosed, suffered injuries that are not life-threatening in the accident.
A child was among the injured, suffering from “minor to moderate injuries,” but is reported to be in good condition. According to police spokesperson Gustavo Araiza, two elderly individuals sustained injuries in the accident.
Injured individuals are receiving care at nearby hospitals.
According to the outlet, parade attendees reported that the officer lost control of his motorcycle while trying to perform a trick, resulting in a severed hand during the crash.
Footage of the tragic incident captures the officer performing a small “wheelie” before losing control and colliding with a group of festive celebrants.
“We did see him pop a wheelie and all of a sudden he went sideways and skid all the way over there,” parade attendee Veronica Ortiz told The Desert Sun at the scene, “and lost control and let go of the bike and it went straight into the crowd.”
A new observer Byron Ruvalcaba expressed to the outlet that the officer was driving at an excessive speed.
“There are kids running around … to my eyes, they were going recklessly [fast]. My guess is 25 to 35 miles per hour,” Ruvalcaba said.
A bike kept going into the crowd even after the officer was dislodged, colliding with an elderly couple and multiple other onlookers, as reported by the outlet.
Palm Springs police dismissed the reports of the wheelie as “a rumor.” Chief of Police Andy Mills did not respond to the claims but offered an apology for the incident on Facebook.
“By now most of our community knows at the parade tonight one of our traffic motors had an accident on his motorcycle and unfortunately several citizens and our officer were injured. I feel terrible about the accident and injuries to the very people we protect,” Mills wrote.
He continued: “I am deeply concerned and hope for a thorough recovery. As Chief of Police, I am responsible for this department and the men and women who serve. After we conduct our investigations I will report back to the community. Again, I am truly sorry.”
The accident is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.