Crazed U-Haul Driver Runs Down Eight In Brooklyn

New York City Police Department officers arrested a driver of a U-Haul rental truck on Monday following reports that the vehicle hit several pedestrians and bicyclists in Brooklyn. According to authorities, eight people were struck at multiple locations.

The first pedestrian struck on Fourth Avenue was transported to nearby NYU Langone Hospital where he was listed in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Another victim, a 44-year-old man hit while riding a bicycle on Bay Ridge Parkway and Fifth Avenue, died after being hospitalized. Another three pedestrians and one additional bicyclist were admitted to the Langone hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.

The violent rampage began around 11 a.m. and ended about 30 minutes later, three miles away from Bay Ridge in Red Hook, following a high-speed chase.

The suspect, identified as Weng Sor, 62. He is reportedly a homeless New York resident with no prior arrests in the city. However, he has a lengthy history of mental illness. Sources said Sor told the arresting officers that he wanted to die after being taken into custody.

Police sources reported Sor responded to officers attempting to stop the truck by shouting: “Shoot me! I’m not stopping!’’

Witness Kida Rexhepi told reporters, “It was like a tornado going by, and when it was done, everyone came running to see what happened.”

Rua Bishara also witnessed part of the chase and said: “The truck was flying, way too fast, and hit the guy and he went down. Then it drove over him. It was horrible. The guy looked like he was dead. He was surrounded by people and he wasn’t moving.”

The NYPD said that the violent mayhem appeared random and that the incident was not believed to be terror-related. Police sources said Sor could have been living out of the truck and had two tickets for traffic infractions on the Belt Parkway in that same truck earlier this month. He also had one prior run-in with officers after a mental health dispatch call in 2019.

The U-Haul was reportedly rented in Florida last month.