Man drives car into Virgina parade, injuring dozens

Police are investigating what caused an elderly man to plow his car into a crowd of hikers gathered for a parade in Virginia, injuring about 60 people.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon in a small Virginia mountain town close to the Tennessee border.

Witnesses say an elderly man driving a green Cadillac lost control of his car, cut through a nearby car wash, then went around several vehicles in the parade before slamming into a crowd of hikers gathered on the parade route.

A witness told the Bristol Herald Courier that six men lifted the Cadillac off a victim that was trapped underneath when the car came to a stop.

Police are investigating whether the driver of the car had a medical incident that caused him to lose control of the vehicle.

Rudolph "Chip" Cenci, 64, of Minoa, N.Y., told The News-Item newspaper in Shamokin, Pa. that he, jumped onto the hood of the car as it was about to hit him and held on to the base of the windshield near the wipers.

Cenci was able to see the driver, whom other witnesses described as in his 80s, and said he had a blank stare on his face.

"I bet you that man never realized someone was on his hood," Cenci said.

Damascus, Virginia Mayor Jack McCrady said a donation fund was being set up for those injured in the accident, some of whom don't have health insurance.

"We want to make sure they don't suffer any greater loss than they already have," he said.