8 injured, 2 critically, after U-Haul van drives into pedestrians in Brooklyn

CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 2/13/2023, 1:47 p.m.
Eight people were injured after someone drove a U-Haul van into pedestrians in New York City on Monday morning, an …
Police gather in New York on Monday where a rental truck was stopped and the driver arrested. Mandatory Credit: John Minchillo/AP

Originally Published: 13 FEB 23 14:25 ET

By John Miller, Mark Morales & Shimon Prokupecz, CNN

(CNN) -- Eight people were injured after someone drove a U-Haul van into pedestrians in New York City on Monday morning, an official with the Fire Department of New York told CNN.

The incident began when police pulled over the rented van about 10:49 a.m. in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the New York Police Department said. The driver evaded police, striking several pedestrians. He was taken into custody shortly after a few blocks away.

Two people were critically injured and two seriously, the FDNY official said. The other inuries were minor.

Police believe the driver, a 62-year-old man, might have been the subject of a call regarding an emotionally disturbed person recently.

Out of an abundance of caution, officials said, the bomb squad searched the back of the truck. It was filled with items indicating the suspect may have been living out of it in recent days. Investigators tell CNN they are going through the man's background and do not believe this was a planned attack, but more likely an attempt to escape.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams tweeted that they had been briefed on the incident. Additionally, Adams said there are no further credible threats related to the incident.

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