At least 1 person has died and seven more wounded after an out-of-control U-Haul struck pedestrians in an eerie scene similar to the 2017 West Side Highway terror attack that left eight dead.
The chaotic scene unfolded in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn on Monday morning when the driver plowed through multiple civilians
Police first stopped the driver, identified as Weng Sor, 62, by the New York Post, at around 10.50am after he allegedly hit several people with the truck in the Bay Ridge area, NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said.
At least one person – a 44-year-old man – was killed in the “violent rampage,” as Sewell called it.
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The victim, who hasn’t yet been named by police, sustained injuries to his head when he was hit, NYPD reported.
He was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
One of the victims was an NYPD officer and three of those hit were on e-bikes, Sewell said.
“One victim today is a married father-of-two,” Brooklyn Councilmember Justin Brannan tweeted.
“He is now in a coma, fighting for his life. Please pray for him and keep his family in your thoughts tonight.”
The horrifying incident coincided with the start of the death penalty phase in the trial of Sayfullo Saipov, an Islamic extremist who killed eight people in 2017 by mowing them down with a truck.
The two events, despite their similarities, are not believed to be related, although cops did say they would investigate further.
Asked during a press conference whether there were any “links” to the West Side Highway attack, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department, said: “As it stands it’s very early in the investigation and that will be part of what we are looking at at this time.”
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Sor had reportedly encountered police prior to the pandemic on at least one occasion when officials believed he was “emotionally disturbed,” according to The New York Times.
Police are investigating the possibility that Sor may have been living in the truck.
Sor had also allegedly acted out in the past, according to the AP, and had served time in prison for two different stabbings.
Surveillance footage obtained by the Post showed the truck slam into the back of a moped – spinning the bike around and sending the rider to the ground.
The U-Haul driver then jumps the curb and plows through bikes as he sped through the sidewalk.
Footage from the incident showed an NYPD vehicle speeding on the sidewalk behind the U-Haul.
Authorities eventually apprehended the driver in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook near the entrance to the Battery Tunnel, about five miles away.
The suspect reportedly told cops he “wanted to die after mowing down pedestrians.”
Sor has no prior arrests but has a history of mental illness, sources told the Post.
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Members of the New York City Police Department’s bomb squad were on the scene to inspect the U-Haul for possible explosive devices.
Authorities said eight people were injured, two are in critical condition, while two others suffered severe injuries.
An NYPD officer was among those injured.
Officials have yet to determine a motive, however, they’ve ruled out any indication of terrorism.
Police confirmed on Thursday afternoon that they are investigating approximately seven different scenes in connection to the incident.
The suspect rented the U-Haul in Daytona Beach, Florida, last month.
Sources told the Post that police gave Sor two tickets for traffic infractions on the Belt Expressway in that same truck just this month.
“The truck was flying, way too fast, and hit the guy and he went down,” eyewitness Rua Bishara told the NY Post.
“Then it drove over him. It was horrible. The guy looked like he was dead. He was surrounded by people and he wasn’t moving.”
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EERIE LINK
Monday’s incident coincided with the start of the death penalty phase in the trial of Sayfullo Saipov, an Islamic extremist who killed eight people in 2017 by mowing them down with a truck.
The two events, despite their similarities, are not believed to be related.
On Halloween 2017, Saipov, 35, rented a U-Haul truck and deliberately rammed through cyclists and pedestrians on Manhattan’s West Side bike path.
He then crashed the vehicle into a school bus and left the truck while brandishing a pellet gun and paintball gun, authorities said at the time.
Saipov was shot by an NYPD officer and taken into custody, officials said.
He allegedly told investigators he planned the attack for about a year and was inspired by ISIS videos, according to a criminal complaint.
Saipov was convicted on 28 counts of crimes that include murder in aid of racketeering and supporting a foreign terrorist organization last month.
Prosecutors will ask a jury to sentence the 35-year-old killer to death in what could be the state’s first death penalty in six decades.
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