Eight people have been struck by a U-Haul truck in a chaotic “rampage” that was caught on surveillance cameras in Brooklyn, New York.
The pedestrians were hit by the vehicle in a series of crashes spanning seven locations in Bay Ridge on Monday at around 11am.
The driver fled from police but was ultimately cornered in Red Hook and taken into custody.
Keechant Sewell, the New York City Police Commissioner, said during a press conference on Monday afternoon that there’s no indication that it was terror-related. She noted that one of the victims was a police officer.
Police began pursuing the truck after receiving reports that it had struck pedestrians. Some of the victims appeared to have been hit during the pursuit.
Surveillance video captured the truck scaling a sidewalk and nearly striking a man who dove out of the way.
“The vehicle that was stopped was stopped as a result of it hitting several people. It came to a rest here behind us,” Ms Sewell said at a press conference steps away from where the driver was apprehended at the entrance to the Battery Tunnel that connects Brooklyn to Manhattan.
Ahead of her press conference, The Independent witnessed officers inspecting the back of the truck. Officers from the NYPD bomb squad were on scene.
“At this time, we have no indication that there was any terrorism involvement in this incident,” Commissioner Sewell told the assembled press. “However, as always, we will continue to investigate this incident with the full resources of the NYPD and our partners. What we saw today is a clear example why every moment of every day, the NYPD must be prepared for every possibility.”
The commissioner said the NYPD engaged with the vehicle after it struck people, adding that the name and age of the suspect will not be released at this time.
A spokesperson for the New York Fire Department confirmed that eight people have been injured, with two being in critical condition, two in serious condition, and four with minor injuries, NBC reported.
New York councilman Justin Brannan, who represents Bay Ridge, indicated that the incident was deliberate.
He tweeted: “A man driving a U-Haul went on a rampage in Bay Ridge ... Several people were hit and badly injured. We have no idea of motives at this time but this wasn’t an accident.”
The truck struck several people after driving onto the sidewalks in Bay Ridge, ABC7 reported.
One of those who were injured was a man in his 30s who was taken to hospital in critical condition. Three men riding mopeds sustained minor injuries after being hit by the truck.
The driver took off down Gowanus Expressway following the crashes and took the exit onto Hamilton Avenue before he was surrounded by police on Columbia Street in Red Hook.
“The police approached this driver and tried to get him to pull over and at that time he said something to the effect of ‘I want to die’ and proceeded to start driving on the sidewalks in Bay Ridge,” Mr Brannan said, according to ABC7.
A bomb squad was called to the scene, but nothing suspicious was found. The suspect is allegedly a homeless man who may have been living in the U-Haul truck. He was taken to hospital for a psychological evaluation, the outlet reported.
A spokesperson for New York Mayor Eric Adams said that he has been briefed on the incident and that “there are no additional credible threats”.
The incident “seemed random, but was obviously on purpose,” Mr Brannon told NY1. “This driver knew what he was doing, knew that he was hitting people.”
The Coldwell Banker real estate office is located on Fifth Avenue and Bay Ridge Avenue. Staff told The New York Times that they heard something from outside that sounded like something being dragged by a truck. When they exited the building they spotted a man lying in the street.
Amanda Perez called 911 and a volunteer ambulance service but she couldn’t get through.
“I was shocked,” she told the paper. “It was a horror to see him in that condition and think someone can flee the scene. It’s devastating.”
