Joyful Filipino Festival Turns Tragic After SUV Hits Crowd in Vancouver
What started as a happy celebration of Filipino culture turned into a tragedy Saturday night in Vancouver. A speeding SUV drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival, killing several people and injuring many others.
The event was ending, and many people were still enjoying food and music when the SUV suddenly entered a pedestrian-only area along 43rd Avenue near Fraser Street. Witnesses say the driver revved the engine, sped past food trucks, and hit many people.
Vancouver police said they arrested a 30-year-old man from Vancouver at the scene. He is currently in custody.
Abigail Andiso was with friends nearby when she heard two loud bangs, followed by screaming. When they ran toward the street, they saw a terrible scene.
“There were bodies on the street. Some were already dead,” Andiso said. She quickly called 911.
Another witness, Dale Selipe, saw injured children and people badly hurt. “One lady’s leg was broken, and her eyes were staring up. Someone was holding her hand, trying to comfort her,” she said.
Later that night, police confirmed that the man arrested was already known to them for past incidents. Bystanders had managed to stop him before police arrived.
Sources say the driver told people he was “sorry” and may have been dealing with mental health problems. Police have not yet shared the exact number of people killed or injured, but many were taken to local hospitals.
As of midnight, Fraser Street between 43rd and 46th remained closed to allow emergency crews to work.
Videos posted online showed the chaos, with bodies on the ground and people trying to help the injured.
Yoseb Vardeh, co-owner of the Bao Buns food truck, had been serving food all day at the festival. He said the day was filled with fun until the sudden crash.
“I heard an engine revving, but it didn’t make sense because there were still people around,” Vardeh said through tears. “I looked up and saw people flying. It happened so fast.”
He said the SUV sped down 43rd Avenue, hitting people along the way. “There were bodies everywhere,” he said.
Vardeh said police arrested the driver quickly, and the man asked bystanders to stop recording him. After the incident, Vardeh sent his staff home and broke down in tears once he reached his family.
“This is the kind of thing you hear about in the U.S., not here,” he said. “People were looking for their families — their wives, moms, kids — and they didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t help them.”
Another woman, who didn’t want to share her name, said she was cleaning up after the event when she got a call from her daughter warning her to hide. She saw injured people, including children, lying on the ground near food trucks.
“There were bodies under the food trucks,” she said. “Everyone was shocked.”
Witnesses said the SUV drove straight into the crowd without stopping. People only heard the “thud-thud-thud” sounds of the tires hitting bodies.
One woman said she saw police officers chasing someone nearby. A black car with its door open was found not far from the scene.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim shared a statement online, saying he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by what happened. He offered his condolences to everyone affected and to the Filipino community.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time,” Sim said.
