BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — One person is dead and eight more injured after they were struck by a U-Haul truck in a chaotic attack that spanned several blocks in Brooklyn Monday morning, according to NYPD and FDNY officials.
The alleged truck driver hit several people near Fifth Avenue and Bay Ridge Parkway in Bay Ridge and kept going before hitting a cyclist at around 10:30 a.m., law enforcement sources said. The alleged driver struck more pedestrians near Fourth Avenue and 75th Street, sources said.
After the crash, two victims were listed in critical condition, two were in serious condition and four people suffered minor injuries, according to the FDNY. Seven of the victims were civilians and one was a police officer who was injured while trying to stop the suspect. A 44-year-old man who was hit near Bay Ridge Parkway and Fifth Avenue died from his injuries, police officials said Monday evening.
NYPD officers cornered the driver and a police car hit the truck, sources said. The alleged driver was taken into custody, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. Police didn’t immediately release his name, but his son identified him as Weng Sor. He told The Associated Press his dad has a history of mental illness.
“Very frequently he’ll choose to skip out on his medications and do something like this,” said Stephen Sor, 30, in an interview outside his Brooklyn home. “This isn’t the first time he’s been arrested. It’s not the first time he’s gone to jail.”
Court records show Weng Sor was sentenced to one to three years in a Nevada prison for stabbing his brother in Las Vegas in 2015. Sources confirmed to PIX11 News the man taken into custody has a criminal record outside of New York.
During a news briefing, Commissioner Sewell said investigators were processing a total of seven different crime scenes.
“At this time, we have no indication that there is any terrorism involvement in this incident,” but the NYPD will continue to investigate, Sewell added.
AIR11 was over the scene where the NYPD vehicle stopped the truck. The U-Haul was parked on the sidewalk as NYPD officers and a K-9 unit inspected the truck.
Mayor Eric Adams was briefed on the incident, according to his spokesperson.
“While the suspect is in custody, the NYPD is still investigating. There are no additional credible threats at this time,” City Hall spokesman Fabien Levy said in a tweet.
New York City Councilman Justin Brannan said several of the victims were badly injured.
“A man driving a U-Haul went on a rampage in Bay Ridge. He was just apprehended in Sunset Park. Several people were hit and badly injured,” Brannan said in a tweet.
Stephen Sor said his father had been living in Las Vegas for the past few years. He said he didn’t speak to his father often and was completely caught off guard when he showed up in Brooklyn in the middle of the night about a week ago.
He described his relationship with his father as “rocky,” and said his father had a history of mental illness, as well as not taking medications and acting out.
“I try to just distance, as long as he leaves us alone,” Sor said.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
