A 50-year-old Kentucky woman has been identified as the person killed during a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Louisville after a tragic accident involving a parade float, as reported by The New York Post.
Joan Pannuti Pottinger, a mother of two, died Saturday after being pulled underneath a float during the Louisville St. Patrick’s Day parade.
According to reports, Pottinger was walking alongside a float loaded with hay bales that was attached to a gray pickup truck when her foot became caught on the vehicle.
Kentucky mom of 2 ID’d as woman crushed to death by St. Patrick’s Day Parade float in freak accident https://t.co/HhNIdEDiDC pic.twitter.com/4FuNPeMlTB
— New York Post (@nypost) March 17, 2026
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Moments later, she was dragged beneath the float as witnesses looked on. Volunteers and attendees quickly rushed to assist, and the parade came to a stop as emergency responders arrived on the scene.
Pottinger was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
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In the immediate aftermath, some people attending the parade did not initially understand the severity of what had occurred.
David Gnamba, a food vendor at the event, told NBC affiliate WAVE 3 that he saw emergency crews taking Pottinger away on a stretcher but did not realize the situation was fatal until information began circulating.
“It does break my heart because that’s a person that lost their life … this is not news that we want to hear — as human beings, as vendors, as people, as partygoers,” Gnamba said.
Stephanie Youstra, who was serving as a volunteer mascot during the parade, said she had completed her section of the route when the floats behind her stopped.
As the procession halted, word of the accident began to move through the parade participants.
“My heart just goes out to anyone who was in that float, and all the people in that float, and the family. I just can’t imagine what they are all feeling,” Youstra said.
Family members and friends later confirmed Pottinger’s death through posts on social media.
BREAKING: St. Patrick’s Day parade goer crushed to death after slipping under float https://t.co/KQNdZTyovk
— The US Sun (@TheSunUS) March 17, 2026
Pottinger had previously spent a decade working with Kraft Foods before stepping away from the workforce for a period of time. In 2024, she joined the nonprofit Best Buddies International.
Within less than a year, she advanced from a development coordinator role to director of mission advancement for Kentucky, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Outside of her professional work, Pottinger frequently traveled with her husband and their two daughters, ages 9 and 13. Photos and posts shared on her Facebook page documented those trips.
Following her death, a GoFundMe page was created by a close friend “in honor Joan Pottinger and the incredible impact she had on everyone who knew her.”
Joan Pannuti Pottinger Louisville, KY Death and Obituary: Beloved Mother Dies After St. Patrick’s Day Parade Float Accidenthttps://t.co/IN0GVgar3B
— xclusive updates (@DanielWink39913) March 17, 2026
The fundraiser surpassed its initial goal within a day and was approaching $50,000 in donations as of Monday evening.
The incident occurred during one of the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, which typically draws large crowds. Authorities have not released additional details regarding the circumstances that led to the accident.
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