Two people were killed and seven others were injured after an apparently drunk driver of a pickup truck plowed into a crowd of people celebrating July 4 at a Lower East Side park, authorities said.
Several injured people were taken to hospitals, two of them in critical condition, authorities said at a news conference Thursday evening. A police spokesman confirmed by telephone that one person had been arrested.
During the press conference, New York Mayor Eric Adams said that while the investigation is still preliminary, the incident does not appear to be “terrorist related.”
According to police, just before 9 p.m., a Ford F-150 was speeding eastbound on Water Street. It ran a stop sign, mounted the sidewalk and drove into Corlears Hook Park, where a large group of people were celebrating the holiday.
“When something tragic like this happens, it really impacts family members who were just here, partying and barbecuing in a park,” said Mayor Adams.
New York City Police Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey said at the news conference that two of the injured died upon arrival at the hospital.
“We believe alcohol played a role in this, but we are still investigating,” said Chief Maddrey.
Of the seven others, two 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 the scene within four minutes, he said, where they found “a pickup truck on top of four victims.” They used airbags and jacks to lift the truck off them, he said. Chief Meyers did not describe the nature of their injuries.
The victims included a mother and her two young children, police said.