CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA : Car crash at white nationalist rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017
Charlottesville, Virginia
A car plowed into a crowd of people peacefully protesting a white nationalist rally Saturday in a Virginia college town, killing one person, hurting more than a dozen others and ratcheting up tension in a day full of violent confrontations.
Shortly after, a Virginia State Police helicopter that officials said was assisting with the rally crashed outside Charlottesville, killing the pilot and a trooper.
The chaos boiled over at what is believed to be the largest group of white nationalists to come together in a decade. The governor declared a state of emergency, and police dressed in riot gear ordered people out. The group had gathered to protest plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, and others arrived to protest the racism.
Matt Korbon, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student, said several hundred counter-protesters were marching when "suddenly there was just this tire screeching sound." A silver Dodge Challenger smashed into another car, then backed up, barreling through "a sea of people."
The impact hurled people into the air. Those left standing scattered, screaming and running for safety in different directions.
Charlottesville Police identified the driver of the car as James Alex Fields Jr. of Ohio.
Source :
Videos capture deadly car crash at white nationalist rally