LINCOLN, Neb. — Authorities in Nebraska say two people are dead and 19 others were injured when two cars crashed into each other and then careened into pedestrians watching the city's annual Memorial Day event "Americruise."
The Lincoln Police Department said that on Sunday, just before 11 p.m., a black Ford Taurus was traveling westbound on O Street when it struck a white Toyota Corolla facing eastbound.
The crash's impact forced the vehicles onto the sidewalk, striking bystanders who were standing and seated to observe the event, police said.
According to the Associated Press, two women in the Corolla, ages 20 and 22, died.
Police said one bystander was listed in critical condition while the other victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
"This is an ongoing investigation," police said in a news release. "We do not believe, nor is there any evidence this was an intentional act."
On Monday, Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins said in a news conference that neither the Taurus nor the Corolla was part of the “Americruise” event, which has been an annual event since the 1990s, the AP reported.
The news outlet reported that the driver of the Taurus was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
