Motorcycle police officers plow into Palm Springs marchers, injuring 10 people

Ten people were injured Saturday night when a motorcycle police officer rammed a bicycle into revelers gathered in Palm Springs for the annual holiday parade, according to the city.

Officials said the accident happened on the Festival of Lights parade route at Palm Canyon Drive and Amado Road just after 6 p.m. The officer has not been identified, and nine other people suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are being treated at local hospitals, officials said.

Lt. Gustavo Arazar, public information officer for the Palm Springs Police Department, said he had no further details about the incident other than that the officer “eventually lost control” and ran into the crowd. The California Highway Patrol is investigating.

“The officers on scene got different accounts from different people, so they will follow up to determine what caused him to lose control,” Alaza said of the motorcycle officer.

A witness told The Times that the officer lost control of the motorcycle during a wheelie and plowed into the crowd, injuring attendees. Palm Desert resident Brenda Taylor, whose daughter performed at the parade, said she and her son were the only ones injured.

Taylor said the motorcycle officer was speeding down the street so fast that it “didn’t look safe until anything happened…” She said there was no crowd blocking or any barriers.

“This is a disaster,” she said.

Among the injured was a little boy who had fainted. Taylor said people tried to keep him awake. She said the motorcycle officer’s hand was so badly injured it looked like it had been severed.

Video taken shortly before the crash showed motorcycle police driving along the parade route. The video shows one of the vehicles appearing to speed along the route before crashing near the crowd.

Authorities are asking anyone with video or photos of the incident to send them to PSCityGovernmentMedia@palmspringsca.gov.

Organizers estimate that the Festival of Lights Parade will attract about 100,000 people to Palm Springs each year.