NEW YORK, NY – A vehicle plowed into a crowd of New Year’s Eve celebrants and law enforcement officers in New York City, resulting in at least nine injuries. The incident occurred near Madison Square Garden, on West 34th Street and 9th Avenue, according to the city’s Fire Department.
The driver, a 44-year-old man, was involved in a dispute with another individual when police officers tried to intervene. Instead of complying, the man jumped into his black SUV and sped off, damaging several police cars in the process.
In the chaos that ensued, the suspect drove onto the sidewalk, hitting both civilians and police officers before his vehicle came to a halt. Among the injured was a woman who was pinned under a food truck after the suspect’s vehicle collided with it.
The suspect was apprehended by the police at the scene of the incident. Both he and the woman pinned under the food truck were transported to Bellevue Hospital and are reported to be in stable condition. An officer injured during the event was taken to NYU-Langone with non-life-threatening injuries.
The collision was declared a mass casualty event by officials, highlighting the severity of the incident. The suspect is currently in custody, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.