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Elephant named Viola escapes circus, takes walk through bustling Montana street
A circus elephant named Viola gave the performance of her life on Tuesday – a grand disappearing act.
The mammoth animal was scheduled to appear on stage at Jordan World Circus in Butte, Montana, but before her act, Viola escaped and wandered through the city, a city official confirmed to CBS News. The circus had two shows scheduled, one at 4:00 p.m. and one at 7:00 p.m. local time.
“One of the circus elephants managed to escape from its trainer and wandered onto Harrison Ave, a bustling street in town,” J.P. Gallagher, the county’s chief executive, said to CBS News.
Video shared on social media showed the elephant walking down the middle of the road through traffic in the southwest Montana city. She walked in front of the town’s casino and into a storage facility as people ran alongside her, video showed.
Brittany McGinnis via Storyful
Viola caused some damage to a storage area at the Civic Center but “no one was injured,” Gallagher said, adding, “Although there was minor damage to the facility, we are grateful that everyone remained unharmed,” he said.
Viola’s trainers were eventually able to subdue and restrain her.
Animal advocacy groups PETA and PAWS in separate statements said that Viola had escaped from the circus before. PETA alleged that Carson & Barnes, the circus that supplied the elephants to the Jordan World Circus, has a history of forcing elephants to perform grueling exercises and has been cited for more than 100 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
CBS News reached out to both circuses for comment.
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NEW YORK – The man accused of killing three people when drove drunk into a crowd on the Lower East Side on July 4th was arraigned on a host of charges Saturday.
Daniel Hyden of Monmouth Junction, N.J. is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault, manslaughter, assault and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated charges. Hyden was driving with a suspended license, prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, Hyden, 44, drove a Ford F-150 pickup truck into the crowd at Corlears Hook Park just before 9 p.m. local time. He allegedly ran through a stop sign at the intersection of Water and Cherry Streets, drove up onto the sidewalk, slammed through the chain link fence, and into the crowd.
Eleven people were killed or injured, prosecutors said. The three people killed have been identified as Lucille Pinkney, 59, and her son Herman Pinkney, 38, and Ana Morel, 43. Another person was critically injured, and seven others hospitalized. The youngest victim was 11, according to prosecutors.
Responding police officers say they found Hyden on the ground next to the driver’s-side door, wearing pants but no shirt or shoes. He had bloodshot eyes, was stumbling and there was “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath.”
“I hope we get justice”
Photos provided
On Friday, Family members of the victims returned to the scene, some breaking down in tears.
“I hope we get justice for my brother and my mother,” Diamond Pinkney said. “Herman, I love you. I’m going to do you proud.”
“We’re all devastated with this. It breaks my heart, and I’m so sad about it,” neighbor Nereida Garcia said.
Four people were fatally shot and three people were injured in a mass shooting in Kentucky on Saturday, the Florence Police Department said in a statement.
Officers arrived at a private residence at 2:51 a.m. to see seven people shot – and found out the suspect had fled the scene in his car. Police said they located the fleeing suspect and tried to nab him during a traffic stop, but he continued to drive.
A chase ensued, police said, and only ended when the suspect’s car drove into a ditch off the roadway. The suspect was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Three of the victims were taken to UC Health Hospital. They are currently listed in critical but stable condition, officials said.
Everyone was attending a birthday pool party, Florence Church of God, a local church, posted on its social media. One of their congregation’s sisters asked for prayers for her friend whose daughter was killed in the shooting.
“A man came in uninvited on a birthday pool party and killed four people,” the church’s Pastor Campbell wrote.
One of them was a friend’s daughter, the pastor wrote, and “her granddaughter is in the hospital with gunshot wounds.”
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.