Yet Another Attack Using a Motor Vehicle against people on a sidewalk

[Guest]

WORLD

 

May 18, 2017 10:19 am

Updated: May 18, 2017 12:39 pm

1 person dead, multiple injured at New York’s Times Square after car drives onto sidewalk

By Adam FriskNational Online Journalist, Breaking News  Global News

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One person is dead and 22 others were injured near New York City’s Times Square after a car plowed into pedestrians on a sidewalk just before lunch hour Thursday.

Police said a vehicle mounted a sidewalk just before noon, striking 23 pedestrians.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed one person was killed in the incident.

“So far what we know is 23 individuals were in this incident, and that includes tragically one young woman who has passed away,” the mayor said at an afternoon press conference

At an afternoon press conference, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill identified the driver as Richard Rojas, a 26-year-old Bronx resident.

“Preliminary investigation reveals that Rojas has a few arrests and two of them are for DWI (driving while impaired),” the commissioner said.

What's happening in Times Square?? This car was in the sidewalk and people are on the streets

The mayor said Rojas was a former member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Police said Rojas made a quick U-turn onto 42nd Street and then drove up the sidewalk for three blocks, passing tourist draws like the Hard Rock Cafe and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant and mowing people down before slamming into a pole.

De Blasio said there was no indication the incident was an act of terrorism.

Photos on social media show a damaged car propped up against a light standard as emergency personnel gathered and dozens of people watched.

A witness said “it was so much chaos going on and you saw people were running.”

WATCH: Video shows Times Square car go up in flames

“We heard a big crash, we saw people running away. We went back to the corner and saw and we saw people lying on the sidewalks,” the woman told local media.

Patrick Graves, a tourist visiting New York, said the driver of the vehicle was “easily speeding.”

“You know what the traffic is like here, it’s quite congested. To hit people and to be catapulted up on there you would have to be easily been exceeding the speed limit,” Graves said.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo described the scene as “nothing short of horrific.”

“As facts continue to emerge, my heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, as well as their families,” the governor said on social media.

He was combative with officers arresting him, authorities said. Rojas, was taken into custody and was undergoing tests for alcohol and drugs.

–with a file from the Associated Press

[conehead]

I don't think it was an "attack"... just another drunk driver.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, conehead said:

I don't think it was an "attack"... just another drunk driver.

Quite a path of distruction for a drunk driver, but let us hope that is the case and not another "home grown" attack. Remember Timothy and also of course the pressure cooker bombers.

[Jaydee]

Any one who does a U-turn then drives up a side walk for 3 blocks was either stoned or it was intentional. If you are sober enough to manhandle a car like that I hardly think he was drunk. Most people even when drunk have some recognition of their surroundings.

My guess is drugs. Either way, after killing someone, he's looking out from behind bars for many years.

[Kip Powick]

He had a criminal record

Twice for DUI..................

[Jaydee]

As expected....Charged with murder and 20 counts of attempted murder.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/05/19/suspect-in-deadly-times-square-mayhem-charged-with-murder.html

 

"Richard Rojas, 26, also told responding officers Thursday after he crashed his Honda Accord into protective barriers that he had smoked marijuana laced with PCP, according to a criminal complaint."

http://globalnews.ca/news/3464925/times-square-driver-said-he-wanted-to-kill-them-all-prosecutors-say/?utm_source=GlobalNews&utm_medium=Facebook