Authorities noted that the U-Haul truck driver who rampaged and drove through several pedestrians in Brooklyn, New York, was pulled over by law enforcement on Monday.
The suspect, identified as 62-year-old Weng Sor, was responsible for the death of one person and the injury of eight others. The individual had been able to avoid arrest initially by swerving onto sidewalks, but this resulted in him plowing through cyclists and scooter riders at Bay Ridge Parkway and Fifth Avenue.
U-Haul Truck Rampage
The incident continued until law enforcement personnel could pin the U-Haul truck against a building located at Hamilton Avenue and Columbia Street in Red Hook. Officials noted that Sor hit nine male individuals, including one police officer, who were aged 30 to 66.
One of the victims, identified as a 44-year-old man riding an e-bike during the incident, lost his life due to injuries he sustained. All of the other victims were listed in stable condition on Monday night by authorities, as per Yahoo News.
In a statement, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said that the tragedy was a "violent rampage" but added that there was no terrorist agenda involved. Authorities still keep Sor at the 68th Precinct and noted that he has yet to be charged with any crime.
The suspect's son, 30-year-old Stephen Sor, said that his father has a history of mental illness, noting that he would skip medications and become reckless in public. He said that this was not the first time that his father was arrested by police or had been placed in jail. Stephen added that he just maintained a distance from his father.
He added that he was surprised to see his father was in his Brooklyn home in the middle of the night last week despite living in Las Vegas for the past few years. The suspect was found to have rented a U-Haul truck in West Palm Beach, Florida, provided a valid driver's license, and paid the rental in advance for 30 days.
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U-Haul Truck Driver Has History of Mental Crisis
The horrific incident brought back memories of other vehicular assaults on bikers and pedestrians in the area. These include one in 2017 when a deadly terrorist attack resulted in eight dead on a Manhattan bike path. There was also a time when a disturbed motorist went on a rampage through Times Square that same year, killing one and injuring 20 others, according to the Associated Press.
Police said that in the latest incident, Sor struck his first victim at 10:17 a.m. before he moved through a busy section of Brooklyn. The neighborhood of the crime is a convergence point for many immigrants who came from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. It is known as the setting of "Saturday Night Fever" and was featured in several parts of "Blue's Bloods."
Following the incident, Sewell noted that two victims were in serious condition, and two others were in critical condition. In a Twitter post, New York City Council member Justin Brannan said that officials have no idea for a motive but argued that it was not an accident, per NBC News.
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