Just hours after a propane explosion rocked the same event, a woman drove into a crowded crowd on Saturday, causing a number of setbacks for an annual Maryland festival that draws thousands of people each year.
At the Main Street Festival in Laurel, Maryland, Kai Deberry-Bostick, 28, was detained and charged with a crime after “recklessly” breaking over barriers and speeding down a busy road, according to Laurel Police.
Deberry-Bostick can be seen sitting in her car, thinking about how to navigate the closed street, on police body camera footage. A policeman offers to call a cab for her and expresses regret for the inconvenience.
Her words, “There has to be another way,” “I refuse to travel all the way to Virginia in a taxi. Virginia is where I work.
Deberry-Bostick then exits her vehicle and approaches the officer’s position. Her words, “I’ve gotta go to work!,” “What do you want me to do?”
In response to the officer’s warning not to disturb the area, she says, “I might have to.”
After that, Deberry-Bostick rips the caution tape off the roadblock and returns to her vehicle. When the police tries to stop her from entering the festival, she starts to drive straight into him.
“Cease! The cop shouts, “Stop your vehicle.”
The woman is seen striking the cop with her car in dramatic video. The cop then follows her on foot as she charges down the street toward the festival attendees.
“No festival-goers were harmed due to their prompt response,” Laurel Police said in a statement. “However, during the incident, one of our officers did sustain minor injuries after being struck by her vehicle.”
As vendors were setting up, the startling incident occurred just hours after a propane explosion. At a press conference, Laurel Mayor Keith R. Sydnor stated that one person was hurt in the explosion and taken to the hospital.
The event resulted in the cancellation of the festival’s parade, which typically begins at 9 a.m. Sydnor went on to say that he does not believe the incident would be investigated further because it was most likely a “negligent accident on the vendor setting up.”
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“This is a festival that’s been going on for 44 years,” Sydnor stated. “Unfortunately, this accident happened, but we’re glad everyone is safe.”
Every year, Laurel, Maryland’s Main Street is closed for the Main Street Festival. According to the City of Laurel, Maryland website, it lets thousands of festival attendees stroll about and take in a procession, a variety of food booths, arts and crafts, and more.
