PASADENA, CA, USA, January 3, 2024 -- Police, parade officials and members of the public have heaped praise on Meridian Rapid Defense Group’s Archer barriers for preventing a disaster when a woman tried to drive into crowds watching the Rose Parade.
The driver intended to break through the barriers on one of the blocks that Meridian had set up on every cross street of the five-and-a-half-mile parade. She ignored pleas to stop and ran head-on into one of the Archer 1200 Barriers. It stopped her immediately. She then reversed and tried again, but by then, two off-duty police officers saw what was happening. They reached in, turned off the car, and pulled her from the vehicle.
Following the near disaster, members of the public congratulated Meridian’s crews, saying, “The barriers saved us. There could have been mass casualties here. We were sitting with our backs to the barriers watching the parade and didn’t even see the car coming.”
Pasadena Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian said, “The Meridian barriers probably saved lives. They did their job.”
In the weeks leading up to the parade, which attracts upward of 800,000 people, Meridian worked with parade organizers to prepare a fully certified vehicle safety mitigation plan. Meridian CEO Peter Whitford explained how once the barriers are set, they are joined by cables, creating an impenetrable zone for members of the public.
“No way,” he said “could any vehicle have gotten onto the parade route because of the cabling system. The Archer 1200 Barriers did exactly what they were designed to do. First, stop the moving vehicle so as not to injure the driver. I can’t emphasize enough just how important it is to have the right safety equipment at these large crowd events.”
Each Archer 1200 Barrier is made of 700 lbs of American steel yet is highly mobile and can be moved into place by one person. They are a common sight guarding crowds at many events across the U.S. This week the Archer barriers were also used to protect crowds at New Year’s Eve events in the U.S., and in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.
The driver of the car was a 21-year-old Pasadena woman who was arrested and is now facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Mr. Whitford said, “This was just another example of what can happen in the blink of an eye. Yes, incidents like this one are rare, but when they happen, there’s a real possibility of serious or fatal injuries.”
Meridian Archer 1200 Barriers are “SAFETY Act Certified” by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) providing the ultimate standard in keeping people, communities and places safer. For more information about Meridian Rapid Defense Group and the Archer 1200 vehicle barrier visit www.meridian-barrier.com
