‘We Got a Car Running People Over — Notify Everyone’: one Dead, twenty two Hurt After Car Slams Into Crowd in Times Square

An 18-year-old woman was killed and twenty two people were injured as a car drove into pedestrians in Times Square on Thursday. Andrew Siff reports.

(Published Thursday, May Eighteen, 2017)

What to Know

A car slammed into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of Times Square shortly before noon Thursday

Officials don’t believe there’s a nexus to terror; sources say the suspect has a history of possible psychiatric, drug and alcohol problems

One woman died and twenty two other people were injured after being hit by the vehicle; the driver was taken into custody

An 18-year-old woman died and almost two dozen people were hurt when a wrong-way driver slammed into a crowd of pedestrians in Times Square Thursday, authorities said.

The woman has been identified as Alyssa Elsman from Portage, Michigan.

Driver in Crash Said Voices Told Him to Hurt People: Sources

The driver, 26-year-old Richard Rojas of the Bronx, was taken into custody after barreling into the lunch-hour crowd on Seventh Avenue shortly before noon, according to police. Officials and sources say Rojas, a former member of the Armed Coerces with a history of DWI arrests, made a U-turn on Seventh Avenue at 42nd Street and began speeding down the sidewalk, mowing down pedestrians for three and a half blocks before crashing into a traffic pole.

A cause of the crash is under investigation, but authorities say it’s believed to be an “isolated incident” with no nexus to terror. Law enforcement sources say Rojas told police he heard voices. They said he has a history of possible psychiatric, drug and alcohol problems, and investigators are looking into whether or not Thursday’s crash may have been a deliberate act.

Law enforcement sources say Rojas appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he was taken into custody. Sources say he blew a 0.0 when tested for alcohol at the precinct he was brought to for questioning. A law enforcement official said certain statements and tests suggest he was under the influence of something he ingested through smoking.

‘We Got a Car Running People Over’: Times Square NYPD Audio

In one of his two previous DWI arrests, Rojas was driving quicker than ninety nine mph in a fifty mph zone, sources familiar with his record say. He resisted officers while being arrested for DUI in Florida, resulting in a dishonorable discharge from the Navy, law enforcement sources said. He was most recently arrested last week in the Bronx on a charge of menacing. After the crash Thursday, he allegedly attempted to flee cops, then attempted to physically fight them, as they brought him into custody.

Police charged Rojas with a slew of charges, including second-degree murder, twenty counts of second-degree attempted murder and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, authorities said.

Witness Live This Is What It Looks Like in Times Square Right Now

Mayor de Blasio said in a briefing at the scene that a total of twenty three people, including the woman who died and her 13-year-old sister, were hit by the vehicle. Four of the survivors were taken to hospitals in critical condition. Many had traumatic injuries, including open fractures, officials said at a news briefing, adding those four victims were expected to live. It’s not clear if the dead woman’s sister was among the critically injured victims.

Major Emergency Response in Times Square After Car Evidently Leaps Curb

Social media erupted with fear and concern as witnesses described screaming and abject chaos in the Crossroads of the World. Someone tweeted a photo of a maroon-looking sedan halfway on its side after appearing to crash into a traffic pole. Smoke emanated from the spandex hood as pedestrians stood by in horror.

Police radio captured the urgency of the response.

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“Times Square, we got a car running people over on 42-7, going northbound on 7th ave, running people over,” one NYPD dispatcher said, according to audio clips from Broadcastify. “Numerous people injured. Notify everyone.”

Witnesses said the vehicle was speeding — one said up to eighty mph — at the time of the crash. Many said it came out of nowhere.

Some people were sobbing, others were simply stunned by what they witnessed.

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“I eyed a woman flying through the air,” Julio Sanchez Rivera, of Queens, said. “Just instinct that got me to duck inwards that door and get out of the way.”

Kristen Boyce said she was seconds away from being hit; now she can’t get the sound of it mowing down victims out of her head.

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“I was in shock, I was screaming,” she said. “No one even witnessed it coming.””All of a unexpected I heard this boom and a car is barreling down Seventh Avenue hitting people, just, ‘Boom! Boom!’ And everyone just starts running,” Boyce added. “We begin running, we don’t know if another one is going to come, we don’t know what’s happening, everyone is panicking.”

Live traffic cameras demonstrated a gigantic emergency response in the area; at least five fire trucks cordoned off the intersection instantaneously near the scene and a line of police cruises, alarms and lights blaring, blocked off traffic near the TKTS booth. The city later announced a series of road closures; it wasn’t clear how long they’d be in effect. Nearby subway entrances and exits were also closed.

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Gov. Cuomo had been about fifteen blocks away at a separate event at the time of the crash and hurried to the scene. He released a statement Thursday afternoon calling the crash “nothing brief of horrific.”

“I was briefed at the scene by Commissioner O’Neill and spotted firsthand the professionalism and diligence of Fresh York’s very first responders,” Cuomo said in a statement. “As facts proceed to emerge, my heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, as well as their families.”

What’s happening in Times Square?? This car was in the sidewalk and people are on the streets pic.twitter.com/PsepRtfrAr

Times Square just went nuts. People screaming and running, the place is swarming with emergency vehicles and cops. People injured. WTF pic.twitter.com/oqQFcr75Uh

Crazy car crash in the middle of Times Square. We are being told to shelter in place pic.twitter.com/jvEhISIhcn

– Christopher Rudolph (@chrisreindeer) May Eighteen, two thousand seventeen

#FDNY confirms one fatality, twelve injuries in Times Square motor vehicle accident, forty five St/Broadway pic.twitter.com/M3aEHZw7Go

One masculine in custody in the #TimesSquare vehicle collision.

It is believed to be an isolated incident, it remains under investigation.

My heart goes out to the family who lost a loved one and those injured in Times Square crash. Thank you to NYFD and NYPD for swift response

We Got a Car Running People Over – Notify Everyone: one Dead, twenty two Hurt After Car Slams Into Crowd in Times Square – NBC Fresh York

‘We Got a Car Running People Over — Notify Everyone’: one Dead, twenty two Hurt After Car Slams Into Crowd in Times Square

By Jonathan Dienst, Marc Santia, Tom Winter, Jennifer Millman and Anastasia Economides

Receive the latest local updates in your inbox

1 Killed, twenty two Hurt in Times Square Crash

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An 18-year-old woman was killed and twenty two people were injured as a car drove into pedestrians in Times Square on Thursday. Andrew Siff reports.

(Published Thursday, May Legitimate, 2017)

What to Know

A car slammed into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of Times Square shortly before noon Thursday

Officials don’t believe there’s a nexus to terror; sources say the suspect has a history of possible psychiatric, drug and alcohol problems

One woman died and twenty two other people were injured after being hit by the vehicle; the driver was taken into custody

An 18-year-old woman died and almost two dozen people were hurt when a wrong-way driver slammed into a crowd of pedestrians in Times Square Thursday, authorities said.

The woman has been identified as Alyssa Elsman from Portage, Michigan.

Driver in Crash Said Voices Told Him to Hurt People: Sources

The driver, 26-year-old Richard Rojas of the Bronx, was taken into custody after barreling into the lunch-hour crowd on Seventh Avenue shortly before noon, according to police. Officials and sources say Rojas, a former member of the Armed Compels with a history of DWI arrests, made a U-turn on Seventh Avenue at 42nd Street and commenced speeding down the sidewalk, mowing down pedestrians for three and a half blocks before crashing into a traffic pole.

‘We Got a Car Running People Over’: Times Square NYPD Audio

Police charged Rojas with a slew of charges, including second-degree murder, twenty counts of second-degree attempted murder and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, authorities said.

Witness Live This Is What It Looks Like in Times Square Right Now

Major Emergency Response in Times Square After Car Evidently Hops Curb

Movie shows authorities responding to an incident involving a car in Times Square.

Police radio captured the urgency of the response.

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Witnesses said the vehicle was speeding — one said up to eighty mph — at the time of the crash. Many said it came out of nowhere.

Some people were sobbing, others were simply stunned by what they witnessed.

Monstrous Tree Topples to Ground, Crushing Car; one Dead

“I witnessed a woman flying through the air,” Julio Sanchez Rivera, of Queens, said. “Just instinct that got me to duck inwards that door and get out of the way.”

Kristen Boyce said she was seconds away from being hit; now she can’t get the sound of it mowing down victims out of her head.

Roger Ailes, Fox News Founder and Political Strategist, Dies

“I was in shock, I was screaming,” she said. “No one even eyed it coming.””All of a unexpected I heard this boom and a car is barreling down Seventh Avenue hitting people, just, ‘Boom! Boom!’ And everyone just starts running,” Boyce added. “We commence running, we don’t know if another one is going to come, we don’t know what’s happening, everyone is panicking.”

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“I was briefed at the scene by Commissioner O’Neill and witnessed firsthand the professionalism and diligence of Fresh York’s very first responders,” Cuomo said in a statement. “As facts proceed to emerge, my heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, as well as their families.”

What’s happening in Times Square?? This car was in the sidewalk and people are on the streets pic.twitter.com/PsepRtfrAr

Times Square just went nuts. People screaming and running, the place is swarming with emergency vehicles and cops. People injured. WTF pic.twitter.com/oqQFcr75Uh

Crazy car crash in the middle of Times Square. We are being told to shelter in place pic.twitter.com/jvEhISIhcn

– Christopher Rudolph (@chrisreindeer) May Legal, two thousand seventeen

#FDNY confirms one fatality, twelve injuries in Times Square motor vehicle accident, forty five St/Broadway pic.twitter.com/M3aEHZw7Go

One masculine in custody in the #TimesSquare vehicle collision.

It is believed to be an isolated incident, it remains under investigation.

My heart goes out to the family who lost a loved one and those injured in Times Square crash. Thank you to NYFD and NYPD for swift response

We Got a Car Running People Over – Notify Everyone: one Dead, twenty two Hurt After Car Slams Into Crowd in Times Square – NBC Fresh York

‘We Got a Car Running People Over — Notify Everyone’: one Dead, twenty two Hurt After Car Slams Into Crowd in Times Square

By Jonathan Dienst, Marc Santia, Tom Winter, Jennifer Millman and Anastasia Economides

Receive the latest local updates in your inbox

1 Killed, twenty two Hurt in Times Square Crash

Link to this movie

Embed this movie

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An 18-year-old woman was killed and twenty two people were injured as a car drove into pedestrians in Times Square on Thursday. Andrew Siff reports.

(Published Thursday, May Legitimate, 2017)

What to Know

A car slammed into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of Times Square shortly before noon Thursday

Officials don’t believe there’s a nexus to terror; sources say the suspect has a history of possible psychiatric, drug and alcohol problems

One woman died and twenty two other people were injured after being hit by the vehicle; the driver was taken into custody

An 18-year-old woman died and almost two dozen people were hurt when a wrong-way driver slammed into a crowd of pedestrians in Times Square Thursday, authorities said.

The woman has been identified as Alyssa Elsman from Portage, Michigan.

Driver in Crash Said Voices Told Him to Hurt People: Sources

The driver, 26-year-old Richard Rojas of the Bronx, was taken into custody after barreling into the lunch-hour crowd on Seventh Avenue shortly before noon, according to police. Officials and sources say Rojas, a former member of the Armed Compels with a history of DWI arrests, made a U-turn on Seventh Avenue at 42nd Street and began speeding down the sidewalk, mowing down pedestrians for three and a half blocks before crashing into a traffic pole.

‘We Got a Car Running People Over’: Times Square NYPD Audio

In one of his two previous DWI arrests, Rojas was driving swifter than ninety nine mph in a fifty mph zone, sources familiar with his record say. He resisted officers while being arrested for DUI in Florida, resulting in a dishonorable discharge from the Navy, law enforcement sources said. He was most recently arrested last week in the Bronx on a charge of menacing. After the crash Thursday, he allegedly attempted to flee cops, then attempted to physically fight them, as they brought him into custody.

Police charged Rojas with a slew of charges, including second-degree murder, twenty counts of second-degree attempted murder and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, authorities said.

Witness Live This Is What It Looks Like in Times Square Right Now

Major Emergency Response in Times Square After Car Evidently Hops Curb

Movie shows authorities responding to an incident involving a car in Times Square.

Police radio captured the urgency of the response.

Dad of Kids on CEO’s Vanished Plane Speaks, Search Goes on

Witnesses said the vehicle was speeding — one said up to eighty mph — at the time of the crash. Many said it came out of nowhere.

Some people were sobbing, others were simply stunned by what they witnessed.

Monstrous Tree Topples to Ground, Crushing Car; one Dead

“I eyed a woman flying through the air,” Julio Sanchez Rivera, of Queens, said. “Just instinct that got me to duck inwards that door and get out of the way.”

Kristen Boyce said she was seconds away from being hit; now she can’t get the sound of it mowing down victims out of her head.

Roger Ailes, Fox News Founder and Political Strategist, Dies

“I was in shock, I was screaming,” she said. “No one even witnessed it coming.””All of a unexpected I heard this boom and a car is barreling down Seventh Avenue hitting people, just, ‘Boom! Boom!’ And everyone just starts running,” Boyce added. “We commence running, we don’t know if another one is going to come, we don’t know what’s happening, everyone is panicking.”

Live traffic cameras displayed a gigantic emergency response in the area; at least five fire trucks cordoned off the intersection instantly near the scene and a line of police cruises, alarms and lights blaring, blocked off traffic near the TKTS booth. The city later announced a series of road closures; it wasn’t clear how long they’d be in effect. Nearby subway entrances and exits were also closed.

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“I was briefed at the scene by Commissioner O’Neill and eyed firsthand the professionalism and diligence of Fresh York’s very first responders,” Cuomo said in a statement. “As facts proceed to emerge, my heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, as well as their families.”