Kennebunk, Maine police are investigating the cause of the accident at the May Day parade

KENNEBUNK, Maine — City officials are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss emergency procedures following an accident during last weekend’s May Day Parade and consider additional safety measures for future events.

Two women were hospitalized Saturday after a classic car unexpectedly shot forward in the city’s annual May Day parade, pinning them against a float carrying several children.

On Monday, Fire Chief Justin Cooper said one of the victims was treated for a hematoma or blood clot and then released. She will need crutches for a few weeks.

Cooper said the second victim required surgery for dislocated fractures in one of her legs. Cooper added that he didn’t know if the woman had already had the procedure.

A third person was also crushed by the float but did not want to go to the hospital, Cooper added. The man was treated at the scene.

“He was caught and crushed, but not so badly that he broke,” Cooper said.

The children in the car were not injured other than minor “bumps and bruises,” firefighters said on Saturday.

The Kennebunk Parade accident remains under investigation

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. on Water Street, where parade participants were lining up and preparing to join the procession already underway. In a news release, Kennebunk Fire Rescue described the incident as “a total accident.”

Fire officials said several bystanders helped at the scene, including two medical assistants who helped them care for one of the patients.

On Monday, Kennebunk Police Lt. Chris Russell said the incident remains under investigation. Russell said an accident reconstructionist is working on the case. He added that the vintage car had been impounded and would be inspected by state police on Wednesday.

“At this point we don’t have a clear causal link,” Russell said. “We are conducting due diligence to determine whether this was a mechanical failure or a human error.”

Russell said the vintage car’s driver, an 85-year-old man from Kennebunk, “cooperated fully from the beginning.” He added that drug or alcohol impairment had been ruled out as a factor. All witnesses described the incident as an accident, Russell said.

“It definitely surprised the driver,” Russell added. “He’s very distraught.”

Cooper described the driver similarly, calling him a person of high integrity, a person who was known, liked and respected in the community.

“Emotionally, he beats himself up,” Cooper said.

Kennebunk is taking measures to prevent future incidents

Cooper said officials from the city’s fire, police, public works and parks and recreation departments will meet Tuesday and discuss their response. They will also discuss how best to prevent such incidents in the future.

Cooper said a new measure is already in effect for future parades: From now on, vehicles will be at the front of the parades, in front of the people who will march in them.

Cooper also said parade participants will likely be spaced further apart as the parade forms and then moves on.

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