A Christmas parade on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona was suddenly cut short Monday evening after police say a suspected drunk driver struck and killed one child while injuring three more bystanders within the crowd.
The Kayenta Township near Monument Valley shared that its annual parade along Navajo Route 591 was supposed to begin at 5 p.m., but that holiday tradition came to an abrupt halt about 10 minutes later.
Four paradegoers seated on the sidewalk were hit while waiting for the parade to start when a driver entered the route.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren called it a “tragic incident,” revealing a juvenile and pregnant woman were among those victims.
The Navajo Police Department, which is investigating with the FBI, confirmed a child had died.
“We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victim and those injured,” said Chrissy Largo, senior public information officer for the tribe’s police department. “A loss of this magnitude is felt across the Navajo Nation.”
The Navajo Nation Office of the Prosecutor has charged 67-year-old Stanley Begay Jr. with vehicular homicide in the death of 3-year-old Navajo boy Karson Apodaca. Under Navajo law, Begay faces up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine.
“Nevertheless, a conviction in Navajo Nation District Court is still a conviction, with real and enforceable consequences under Navajo law,” said Chief Prosecutor Verlon L. Jackson Sr., noting the tribe has yet to adopt enhanced sentencing authority stemming from the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010.
The sale of alcohol, as well as possession and consumption, is prohibited on Navajoland.
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