Eight people were injured — two of them in critical condition — after an individual driving a U-Haul truck struck pedestrians in Brooklyn, New York, on Monday morning, an agent with the Brooklyn Fire Department told CNN. the city.
The incident occurred when a rented U-Haul van was pulled over at 10:49 a.m. in Sunset Park, according to the NYPD. The driver evaded the stop sign and struck several pedestrians. He was stopped minutes later, a few blocks away.
In addition to the two individuals who are in critical condition, there are two others with serious injuries. The rest have minor injuries, according to firefighters.
Police believe the driver — a 62-year-old man — may be the subject of a recent call they received about an emotionally disturbed person with the same name.
Out of an abundance of caution, the bomb squad was called to search the back of the van, which was littered with items indicating the suspect may have been living there in recent days.
Investigators told CNN they are looking into the man’s background, but at this time they do not believe it was a premeditated “ram attack,” but rather an attempt to escape from police.
