Mr Tenorio said he saw about 10 people, children and adults, on the ground who appeared to have been hit by the vehicle.

“It just happened so fast,” he said. “It was pretty horrifying.”

Writing on Facebook, another eyewitness, Lindsay Eckert added: “This happened right behind my dance team, the SUV drove past us going about 50-60mph. I saw people get hit and it was terrible. Everyone is devastated.”

The driver kept going and managed to exit the parade route before later being detained by police. 

Footage on social media showed emergency vehicles racing to the scene as witnesses screamed in terror.

Who were the victims 

Among those struck by the car were small children, elderly women, and a priest. 

“We can confirm that 5 people are deceased and 40 are injured. However, these numbers may change as we collect additional information,” the Waukesha Police Department said in a statement on their official Facebook page on Sunday.

A woman told Milwaukee’s Fox6 TV station that the SUV hit a dance team of girls between 9 and 15 years old. She said the immediate reaction was silence, followed by screaming, running and checking on those injured, Fox6 reported. 

Nurse Jodi Singsime, 42, took shelter in a store with members of her family before going out to help the injured, including a small boy.

“I felt his neck for a pulse and he had one but his eyes were barely open and his face – all I can remember is his sweet little innocent face was purple. He wasn’t really with us,” she said.