A woman was run over by a Krewe of Nyx parade float and killed in New Orleans on Wednesday night, devastating paradegoers and krewe members on what is typically a joyful night to kick off the final week of Mardi Gras.

Updates: Woman killed by float may have been reaching for beads, NOPD says | Victim's name has been released

The accident, which occurred sometime around 9 p.m., happened near the corner of Magazine and Valence streets just a few blocks from the start of the parade, according to officials and witnesses on the scene.

The woman was later identified by the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office as Geraldine Carmouche, 58.

The city's emergency preparedness Twitter account said at 9:07 p.m. that "emergency personnel responding to incident on parade route at Magazine & Valence. Avoid this section of the route & listen to the instructions of first responders."

The accident involved float number 21, a double-decker float decorated with hot air balloons and flowers.

Richard Anderson, 42, was visiting from the Monroe area and said it appeared the woman tried to walk between the two sections of the tandem float when she was run over. She was crossing Magazine Street from the lake side to the river side, Anderson said.

Shawn Morris, a Harvey resident, was watching the parade on Magazine Street with two friends. Once the parade stopped for about 30 minutes, he said he walked down Magazine to see what was causing the delay.

Walking through crowds "just as you'd expect" for a big parade on a pleasant night, Morris began to see law enforcement and others gathered near the accident. He described the scene as "gruesome" and "horrible."

"I've never seen anything crazy like this," he said.

Morris said parade-goers at the scene told him that the woman tripped over the hitch connecting the tandem float.

Police officer inspects the tractor that was pulling the Nyx float involved in tonight’s fatal accident pic.twitter.com/cz2jrQkz3M — Keith Spera (@KeithSpera) February 20, 2020

Shortly after the accident, New Orleans police were on the scene, speaking with the driver of the float's tractor and taking measurements amid shaken onlookers and the detritus of beads and other parade throws. The float's riders remained on board while the initial parts of the investigation took place.

New Orleans officials didn't identify the woman or provide additional details about how the accident may have occurred.

Float No. 20 became the final float in the parade. Nos. 21 and beyond did not finish the parade and were instead rerouted back to the krewe's staging area. Marching bands and other walking and dancing troupes were re-routed because of the accident.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell said at a news conference near the scene that ending the parade early was the "proper thing to do."

Nyx Captain Julie Lea offered her condolences to the victim's loved ones.

"On such a a joyous night, this is obviously a tragic occurrence," said Lea, through a spokesman. "The parade takes a back seat when something like this happens on the route. On behalf of the entire Krewe of Nyx, along with the city of New Orleans, we offer our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the individual involved."

Nyx is the largest parade of the Mardi Gras season with 3,348 members and a total of 88 floats when counting the tandem floats as separate units. An all-female krewe, its ridership has grown quickly since its founding in 2011.

The parade had started just a few blocks away and was following the Ancient Druids on the Uptown route to kick off the final weekend of the Carnival season.

Float-related accidents are rare, but they have occurred in the past.

A press clipping in 1981 shows a 3-year-old girl was crushed to death by a float on Mardi Gras. And in 2008, a float rider in the Krewe of Endymion parade died when he was hit by a part of a float after he'd gotten off it.

Staff writers Gordon Russell, Della Hasselle, Ramon Antonio Vargas, Katelyn Umholtz and Keith Spera contributed to this report.

Editor's note: This story was updated Thursday, Feb. 20, to include the identity of the woman hit by the float.