NEW ORLEANS — Authorities on Sunday identified the man who allegedly, while intoxicated, plowed into a crowd enjoying a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans.

The Police Department identified the man as 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto, who was charged with offenses related to drunken driving. He was being held at the city jail.

Rizzuto was charged with first-degree negligent vehicular injuring, hit-and-run driving causing serious injury, and reckless operation of a vehicle, according to court records.

Police say a breath alcohol test determined that Rizzuto’s alcohol level was three times the legal limit after he was arrested.

The accident happened Saturday during one of the busiest nights of Mardi Gras when thousands of people throng the streets of Mid-City to watch the elaborate floats and clamor to catch beads and trinkets tossed from riders.

When asked by reporters whether terrorism was suspected, Police Chief Michael Harrison said it was a case of driving while intoxicated.

Twenty-one people were hospitalized after the crash with five victims taken to the trauma center in guarded condition. However, their conditions were not life-threatening, said Dr. Jeff Elder, city emergency services director.

Seven others declined to be hospitalized, he said.

The victims range in age from as young as 3 or 4 to adults in their 30s and 40s, Elder said.

Among the injured was one New Orleans police officer. Harrison said the officer, who was on duty, was undergoing tests to determine the extent of her injuries. She was in ‘‘good spirits,’’ he said.

As police and city officials assessed the accident scene, people streamed home as plastic bags that used to hold trinkets and discarded beads littered the ground.

Saturday night’s parade was put on by the Krewe of Endymion, which is known for its long, elaborate floats and the big party it hosts at the Superdome after the parade.

Associated Press