Thursday, 19th September 2024

'No indication of terrorism' as one killed and 22 injured in Times Square

FBI are police are investigating the incident

Thursday, 18th May 2017

©REUTERS/Mike Segar

A woman has died and more than 22 people have been injured after a speeding car drove on to the pavement in New York City's bustling Times Square.

An injured pedestrian told the Reuters news agency that the driver's actions appeared to have been "intentional".

The driver, understood by WIC News to be a veteran of the US Navy, is in custody.

He has been named as Richard Rojas by a number of media outlets, a Bronx resident with previous arrests for driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Speaking to reporters, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said: "There is no indication that this was an act of terrorism".

'No link to terrorism'

The crash follows recent deadly car-ramming attacks in across Europe, including the cities of Berlin, London, Berlin and Nice.

The FBI is investigating the incident at the Midtown Manhattan tourist venue, but so far officials say there is no terror link.

The maroon Honda jumped the kerb and travelled for three blocks before crashing.

Photos  showed the car partly on its side outside the Swatch shop in one of the world's most popular tourist attractions.

Shoes were scattered at the scene

"People were being hit and rolling off the car," said Josh Duboff, an employee at the adjacent Thomson Reuters headquarters who jumped out of the way to avoid being struck.

Cheryl Howard and her daughter were out shopping when the car sped towards a crowd. "I'm so freaked out," the daughter told Reuters. "They mowed everyone down."

Television footage showed police officers restraining a man in a dark T-shirt and placing him in a police car.