Eight people were injured when a driver in a U-Haul rental van struck them in the Bay Ridge neighbourhood of New York City. The driver was arrested and was identified by his son as Weng Sor, who was living in Las Vegas before showing up recently in New York.
Four persons have minor injuries, two are in critical condition, and two are in serious condition.
According to the New York Police Department, the offender struck onlookers before eluding a police stop. The event occurred at around 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT).
The event was described as a “violent rampage through Brooklyn” by police during a press conference. The police said that there is no sign of terrorism in the incident. The surveillance footage showed a pedestrian at least jumped out of the path as the U-Haul van swerved onto a broad sidewalk and sped away while it was being pursued by a police cruiser.
Police attempted to stop the van by boxing it in, but the culprit fled after ramming two cars. According to eyewitnesses, the truck struck both pedestrians and riders of two-wheeled vehicles. A police officer was among those hit.
“I’m 86,” Bay Ridge resident Mary Wozniak reportedly said. “I crawl, I can’t even get out of the way if somebody was after me. It’s terrible. I feel very sad. I can’t believe that this is my neighborhood. I just think the world is going crazy, just crazy.”
Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, stated that her administration was prepared to help the New York Police Department after being briefed on the situation.