SUV hits high school band members at start of Alabama Mardi Gras parade

(jsmoorman [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0] via Flickr)

(jsmoorman [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0] via Flickr)

An SUV plowed into a group gathered at the start of a Mardi Gras parade Tuesday in Alabama, injuring 12 people under the age of 17 and prompting officials to cancel the day's celebrations.

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Four of the injured people were in critical condition immediately after the accident in Gulf Shores. Baldwin County Public School Superintendent Eddie Tyler said six of the injured students are in middle school while the other six are in high school.

Footage from the start of city's parade route showed multiple people being checked and treated for injuries on the street.

According to WALA, a vehicle hit several Gulf Shores High School band members who were lined up to march in the Fat Tuesday parade.

The accident was reported at 10:05 a.m. CST, just after the parade kicked off. City officials took to social media to warn revelers that the parade would be delayed. It was later canceled "due to an injury at the start of the lineup," according to Gulf Shores officials.