COTEAU — A vehicle crash during the Lao New Year Festival left 19 people injured.

State Police say Todd Landry, 57, drove his car into a crowd during the festival's parade. According to police, he was found to have a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit.

Seven people were taken to the hospital, including three in serious condition. The sheriff's office says the crash does not appear to be intentional.

The Lao New Year Festival has been held in Iberia Parish for 40 years. Organizers say the festival is a way to bring their traditions to America and share their culture with the community.

"What we do is to bring our homeland here to America," organizer Kinhdavone Phethmanh said.

Phanat Xanamane, one of the organizers, explained that the new year for the Lao community symbolizes a new start.

"The new year for us symbolizes cleansing. We do a lot of rituals related to cleansing. There's a lot of water washing rituals," Xanamane said.

Xanamane said the events that happened during the festival were very sad. He also said the festival invites everyone to attend.

"As part of our culture, we're very welcoming of people during these celebrations," Xanamane said.

After the crash, organizers decided to cut back on events.

"We had to alter our festival and cancel a lot of our entertainment programs in respect for the people that were injured," Xanamane said.

Now, organizers say there is a new focus on safety for future festivals.

"We have to be very careful now to make sure that it's safe for everybody and everyone that comes to this festival to understand that you're a guest and you must be responsible," Xanamane said.

Even with the fear and sadness, members of the Lao community are choosing unity.

"But I know people are hurt and people are angry. But you know what? Turn that anger to love," Phethmanh said.

Organizers say they are determined not to let fear overshadow the celebration and will re-evaluate safety measures before future events.