HARRISBURG, Pa. — Panic and confusion erupted in downtown Harrisburg on Monday evening when a vehicle drove into pedestrians during the closing moments of the city’s annual Kipona Festival.
The incident occurred shortly after 6:00 p.m. along South Front Street, just as the three-day event was winding down. Witnesses reported that a red van barreled through an area where vendors had been set up, striking multiple people. The van’s front bumper and hood appeared heavily damaged when police located it nearby at Cranberry and Front Streets, where it was quickly secured behind crime scene tape.
Festivalgoers described the terrifying moments as “chaotic,” recalling people screaming and scattering as the driver honked the horn and accelerated into the crowd.
Emergency crews and Harrisburg police officers rushed to the scene, where at least two individuals were confirmed injured and transported for treatment. Their conditions have not yet been released.
Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter and Mayor Wanda Williams were both on scene as authorities shut down a large section of Front Street between State Street and the pedestrian bridge to City Island to collect evidence.
The Harrisburg Police Department is leading the investigation. Officials have not disclosed the driver’s identity, motive, or whether charges will be filed.