Public safety was top of mind for event organizers and law enforcement who were patrolling and assessing multiple activities up and down Wilton Drive June 16. To mitigate potential issues, a long stretch of Wilton Drive was closed to traffic, for the safety and logistics of the parade and for exhibitors and attendees.
But while there were no “major incidents” reported during the “Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride Parade & Festival” – which hosted about 40,000 people – there was a nearby incident involving a pedestrian.
A woman was hit by a vehicle going northbound in the 2900 block of NE 6th Avenue in Wilton Manors at about 7 p.m. on June 16, according to the Wilton Manors Police Department.
“The driver of the car remained at the scene and was fully cooperative during the investigation, which was conducted by [the Broward Sheriff’s Office] Traffic Unit,” Wilton Manors Police Chief Paul O’Connell said in an email to SFGN.
O’Connell said there were no signs that the driver was impaired.
“The pedestrian was transported to [Broward Health Medical Center] and spent the next 48 hours in ICU (intensive care unit). She was transferred out of ICU on [June 18] and [is] progressing well last we heard,” O’Connell said.
Jennifer Bickhardt, the community policing officer and public information officer for the Wilton Manors Police Department, added that officers were unaware of any citations that were issued in relation to the incident.
“From my understanding the driver and pedestrian involved in this incident are doing alright,” Bickhardt said.
The location of the incident is about a half mile north from where Pride festivities were taking place, near the NE 6th Avenue bridge. The ages of the individuals involved in the incident was not immediately known.
Requests for comment from the Broward Sheriff’s Office weren’t immediately returned.
