Pickup truck drives through protest in Florida capital

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — A pickup truck drove through an intersection where protesters were demonstrating Saturday in Tallahassee, Florida, causing people to run screaming out of the way as the vehicle stopped and started and at one point had a person on its hood, according to witnesses and video posted on social media.

Tallahassee Mayor John E. Dailey tweets later that the driver was taken into custody after hitting the crowd at a low rate of speed. He says no one was seriously injured.

Video shows the truck stopped at a traffic light, and protesters walking around and near it while appearing to speak to the driver. The truck then suddenly accelerates.

Lucas von Hollen, an instructor at Florida State University, says he saw the incident as protesters were chanting and marching as in a standard demonstration, but then he heard a distinct scream of fear. He looked out a window from a second-floor work building and saw the burgundy pickup. He describes it slowing down as it had driven up toward the protesters, who didn’t move.

“Then the truck revved its engines … a couple people got out of the way, but some people didn’t, and it just drove straight through the crowd.”

He says people followed the car to prevent the driver from getting away.

— AP