Culture

A Driver Reportedly ‘Lost Control’ And Plowed Through Pedestrians At Times Square, Killing One Person

Around noon local time, what Reuters described as a “speeding vehicle” plowed through several pedestrians on the sidewalk at Times Square in New York. Witnesses told the news outlet at least 10 people were injured in the incident, and many others tweeting about the events in real time — including 24 News anchor David Shuster — say at least one person was killed. Photos taken from the scene and posted to social media reveal a body (which was struck in front of the Reuters building) on the sidewalk, covered in white canvassing and encircled by NYPD officers. FDNY later tweeted the number of injured persons was 13.

Witnesses and others nearby the incident and its immediate aftermath first brought attention to it on Twitter.

Shuster, who apparently witnessed the accident in progress, began providing details.

The driver, who was filmed being taken into custody by police at the scene, is a 26-year-old Bronx resident who hasn’t been identified publicly. Though police did tell Shuster the man has a “history” of DUIs, and that what happened today was “not an attack.” They also upped the total number of injured persons to 20.


UPDATE: New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a statement to the press, said 23 people in total were struck by the “perpetrator,” who was described by witnesses as appearing intoxicated. One of the victims, an unidentified “young woman” died from her wounds. De Blasio stressed there was “no indication this was an act of terror.”

(Via Reuters and CBS News)