A driver slammed through barriers in front of two gay nightclubs in San Jose, California last Thursday night, barely missing dozens of pedestrians just one day before the city’s 50th anniversary Pride celebrations. Reporters suspect that the crash may have been vengefully motivated.

The driver crashed his white Lexus sedan, exited the vehicle, and then walked towards employees outside of the nearby Splash gay bar, asking if he could enter the establishment, employee Jacqueline Correa told KTVU.

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“They told him no,” Correa said, because he was visibly intoxicated. “He flipped them off, got back into the car.”

The news station said the driver may have rammed his car through the barriers after the local gay clubs denied him entry. However, authorities say they don’t believe that the crash was caused by anti-gay animus. Police are currently investigating the crash as a suspect incident caused by driving under the influence.

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“I’ve seen fights [outside of the bar],” Correa said. “I’ve seen really bad fights. I’ve never seen [a car being used as a weapon]. It was really crazy.”

The crash crumpled the entire front hood of the car and caused broken windows and water to leak from the walls of the building that he crashed into. The vehicle’s tire marks marred a colorful street mural, which was set to be revealed on Friday, during the official start of the Silicon Valley Pride weekend.

Jonathon Esparza, the event coordinator for Splash Bar, told KRON that the crash didn’t impede the bar’s plans for the weekend celebration.

While the crash didn’t injure any bar goers on the street, the driver and his female passenger were reportedly taken to the hospital with severe injuries.

The city’s Pride events and parade continued this last weekend, despite a reduction in size due to a 50% loss in funding from fewer donors and sponsorships. The theme for this year’s event was “Unstoppable.”

“Our theme was picked specifically because of how unstoppable our community is. We see the rollback of our rights, gender affirming care being stripped, we see marriage equality being challenged,” said Silicon Valley Pride CEO Nicole Denson told KABC.

Parade-goer Caitlin Morrison told the news station, “We’ve always been here. Nothing is ever going to change that, no matter what, we’re going to be okay.”

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