A woman walking alongside the IUPUC float who apparently tripped, was caught and dragged a few feet during Saturday’s Festival of Lights Parade was not seriously injured.
The student, who was not identified, was near the intersection of Third and Washington streets when the incident happened, police said.
The university, in a memo, said the student is recovering and is back in classes.
Joyce Lucke, a member of the parade committee, said organizers remind parade participants in event packets to exercise extreme caution if they are walking near their entry in the event.
“Usually, the problems you hear about with parades are with spectators going into the street,” Lucke said. “And we have always been very proactive about safety.”
Parade emcee Brittany Gray reminded spectators Saturday to stay out of the way of vehicles passing nearby.
No changes to the Festival of Lights Parade are expected as a result of the accident, Lucke said.
“Even if we did decide that participants had to stay further away from a float, I don’t know how we could possibly police that,” Lucke said.
Sgt. Matt Harris, said people accompanying the floats or parade vehicles had never previously caused a Festival of Lights accident that he could recall.
“Everyone has been doing a good job staying safe,” said Sgt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman, who participated in the parade. “But we will remind people again next year to take extra care.”
Darkness during the evening parade becomes a factor in safety, Harris said. Drivers aren’t always able to easily see who’s walking nearby, he said.
