A woman who was fatally crushed by a float at a St Patrick's Day parade in Kentucky over the weekend has been publicly identified as a local mother of two.
Joan Pannuti Pottinger, 50, died after her foot got caught and she was dragged under a vehicle at the 53rd annual parade in Louisville on Saturday.
Horrified bystanders frantically tried to lift the float up to free her to no avail.
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified Pottinger on Monday, though her cause of death was not made public.
Pottinger was married and a mother of two girls. Her husband, Tony Pottinger, described his wife's death as 'truly a freak accident' to WLKY.
He paid tribute to her in a touching statement that said: 'Joan, like the saint for whom she was named, was fiercely loyal and faithful.
'She was (and remains) the light of our lives as a mom, wife, and friend. We are a military family and before settling in our forever home in Louisville, we made multiple moves.
'In every community, Joan has been a passionate force for good, volunteering her time and helping those in need, including in her most recent work fundraising for Best Buddies. We are blessed at the outpouring of community support as we mourn our loss.'
Joan Pannuti Pottinger, 50, was fatally crushed by a parade float during a St Patrick's Day parade in Kentucky on Saturday. She was publicly identified on Monday and is pictured with her husband and two daughters.
Pottinger was pulled under this float filled with hay bales connected to a pickup truck during the 53rd annual St Patrick's Day parade in Louisville.
According to her LinkedIn, Pottinger began working for Best Buddies International in 2024.
The organization is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting folks with disabilities by helping them find friends, employment and suitable housing.
Prior to that she had enjoyed a 12-year career at Kraft Foods.
The Louisville Metro Police Department previously told the Daily Mail the fatal accident happened just before 4pm.
'Our preliminary investigation reveals that an adult female participant believed to be in her 50s, was walking alongside one of the floats,' a spokesperson said.
'For some unknown reason her foot got caught by the float causing her to fall and she got caught under the vehicle and was struck.'
The float came to a stop as first responders and good Samaritans attending the parade rushed to help her.
Pottinger's husband told WLKY: 'We appreciate the work of the crowd in lifting up the vehicle and the professionalism of the first responder.'
Thousands of paradegoers were unaware of what was unfolding as the parade slowed to a stop. Some children who were attending the parade are pictured.
The mother of two's husband, Tony Pottinger, described his late wife as 'fiercely loyal and faithful.'
Emergency medical services transported Pottinger to University of Louisville Hospital, where she later died.
Thousands of paradegoers at the front had no idea what was happening as the floats suddenly ground to a halt.
A witness working at a food truck told WAVE 3 he saw the mother of two being carried out on a stretcher.
'I [saw] the EMS attending to somebody. I saw somebody on the stretcher, not thinking it was something very serious,' David Gnamba told the outlet.
'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,' he added.
The Hibernian Cultural and Charitable Association, which organized the parade, said they were 'deeply saddened by the tragic accident' and offered condolences to everyone affected.
An outpouring of tributes from those close to the deceased mother of two has been shared on social media since Pottinger died.
First responders rushed to help Pottinger after she was pulled under the float, but she was pronounced dead at the hospital.
A GoFundMe set up to support Pottinger's grieving family smashed its initial goal of $3,500 on Sunday and has raised more than $55,000 as of Monday evening.