A young woman was killed and more than 20 others were injured after a speeding car ploughed into pedestrians in Times Square.
Pedestrians saw the car make a u-turn in the middle of the heavily trafficked 7th avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The red Honda sedan continued approximately three blocks against the flow of traffic, leaving bodies strewn in its wake.
Witnesses describe people screaming and running from the vehicle, while others lay in the intersection, unable to move.
The car eventually crashed into a telephone people and stopped, smoking, on 45th street and Broadway. The intersection marks the heart of one of New York City’s most popular tourist destinations.
An 18-year old woman and her 13-year-old sister were struck midway through the driver’s rampage, directly outside the offices of Thompson Reuters. The 18-year-old was killed, and her sister was hospitalised for her injuries.
At least 21 other people were injured.
Mayor Bill de Blasio called the crash “a very serious incident”, but emphasised that there is no indication that it was a terrorist act.
“Even when incidents occur, it should not shake people’s fundamental knowledge that they are safe in Times Square," he said.
Police suspect the driver, Richard Rojas, was driving while intoxicated. Witnesses say they saw him emerge from the vehicle panicked and shirtless.
The 26-year-old Navy veteran has been arrested twice for drunk driving, police said.
Officials say a police officer and two passerby tackled the driver when he attempted to flee the scene. Mr Rojas is now in police custody and being transported for drug and alcohol testing.
The Independent spoke with one man, identified by the first name Landry, who claimed he helped detain Mr Rojas.
“He came outside the car and ran toward 45th [street],” Landry said. “He was screaming … We got him to the floor like five minutes before the police came.”
Another Times Square visitor said she was shopping when she saw a woman lying in the middle of the street.
"We didn't know where she came from," the woman told The Independent . "All of a sudden we turn our heads and we see through the door of the store a woman lying down, naked, with scratches all over her body."
"We thought she was totally unconscious," she added, "but then the police came; the paramedics – everybody."
Emergency response teams blocked off the area, and surrounding buildings were placed on lockdown.
Reports of the crash stoked fears of a possible terrorist attack. Several witnesses told news outlets they initially believed the crash was intentional. One witness told Gothamist she saw the driver speed up as he ploughed through pedestrians.
The day before, Isis had released a video calling for attacks on Americans.
Officials, however, do not believe crash was a terrorist attack.
“Based on information we have at this moment, there is no indication that this was an act of terrorism,” Mr de Blasio said.
The vehicle was checked by a bomb squad, and other popular landmarks were provided additional security as a precautionary measure.
The White House said President Donald Trump was informed of the incident and would continue to be briefed as it unfolded.
