It goes without saying that drinking and driving don't mix.  And, probably not the wisest choice to accept a drink from a stranger on the street.  Ingesting anything with little knowledge of what it contains is reckless.  The contents can be much stronger than anticipated, or laced with something life threatening.  25 year old Neilson Rizzuto learned this the hard way.  On Saturday night, February 25th, Rizzuto rammed his vehicle into a crowd attending a New Orlean's Mardi Gras parade. The celebration of Mardi Gras is held annually in Southern Louisiana. Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.  The parade was put on by the Krewe of Endymion, and included a large array of floats, as well as a huge party hosted at the Superdome afterwards.  With more than 3,100 riders, the Endymion parade is the largest with the most expansive crowd draw in Mardi Gras.  

Image Courtesy of KTFS Channel 26

If Rizzuto happens to make bond, Commissioner Robert Blackburn said he would be placed under immediate house arrest and forced to wear an ankle monitor.  His mobility would be greatly restricted and Rizzuto would be completely prohibited from driving. Blackburn originally set his bail for 21 counts, adding up the number of injured individuals rushed in for emergency treatment.  The amount would have likely been even higher if all accounts of injuries were taken into consideration.  In an interview, Rizzuto's father said that his son is "a good kid."  He still cannot comprehend how this could have happened, but he did say he spoke with his son and was told Rizzuto was offered a drink from a stranger on the street.  He blindly accepted, and that's the last he remembers of the night.

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Mardi Gras crash suspect's blood alcohol level nearly 3 times legal limitMardi Gras truck crash: Driver had .232 blood-alcohol level, police say