Two people were killed and at least nine others injured after an apparently drunk driver plowed a pickup truck into a crowd of people celebrating the Fourth of July at a park on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, authorities said.
Several injured people were taken to hospitals, including two in critical condition, authorities said at a news conference Thursday evening. A police spokesman confirmed by telephone that one person had been taken into custody.
At the news conference, New York Mayor Eric Adams said that while investigations were preliminary, the incident did not appear to be “terrorism-related.” Responding officers smelled alcohol on the driver and police conducted tests to confirm the incident, authorities said.
Police said that shortly before 9 p.m., a Ford F-150 traveling east on Water Street ran a stop sign, mounted the curb and entered Corlears Hook Park, where a crowd of people were celebrating.
“A tragic incident like this has a real impact on family members who were there to party and have a barbecue in a park,” Mayor Adams said. During the press conference, fireworks could be heard in the background, sometimes drowning out the shouts of officials.
New York City Police Department Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey said at the news conference that two of the injured were confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital.
“We believe alcohol played a role in this incident, but we are investigating,” Chief Maddrey said.
Among the injured, two people were in critical condition and three were seriously injured, New York City Fire Department Chief Michael V. Meyers said at the news conference.
Firefighters arrived on scene within four minutes, he said, where they found “a pickup truck on top of four victims.” They used air bags and jacks to lift the truck, he said. Chief Meyers did not describe the nature of their injuries.
Chief Meyers said up to 200 people were in the park. The crash happened about a half-hour before the July 4 fireworks display, which was scheduled to take place over the Hudson River on the other side of Manhattan, was set to begin.
Among those affected were a mother and her two young children who were taken to hospital, police said.
Victoria Kim contribution to the report.
