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Updated 10.50pm
A VEHICLE HAS hit a number of pedestrians at Times Square in New York.
The New York Police Department has said one person is dead and 22 have been injured. The incident is not believed to be terrorism-related.
Four of those injured are described as being in a critical condition.
Police said that a 26-year-old male driver named Richard Rojas has been arrested and is being tested for alcohol.
A law enforcement official said the man has two previous arrests for drink driving.
The crash happened at noon local time on a hot day that brought large crowds of people into the streets.
Videos posted online showed steam or smoke pouring from the car for a few moments after it stopped moving.
Witnesses have said the driver appeared to be intoxicated.
“He’s just mowing down people,” said witness Asa Lowe, of Brooklyn, who was standing outside a shop when he heard screaming.
He didn’t stop. He just kept going.
After the car struck a barricade and stopped, the driver climbed out of his vehicle, Lowe added.
He just started running until people tackled him down. Citizens just reacted.
Times Square is typically packed with tourists and office workers. It lies in the heart of Midtown Manhattan and leads to Broadway, New York’s famed theatre district.
Irish citizens
The Irish Consulate in New York said it is aware of the incident and “working closely with authorities”.
In a statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said: “I am aware of the terrible incident in New York this afternoon, which has resulted in a number of casualties. My Department are monitoring the situation closely through Consulate General New York and the Consular Division in Dublin.
Irish citizens with concerns can call +353 (1) 4082000 for assistance.
“On behalf of the Irish government, I wish to express our condolences and solidarity with the people of New York at this time,” Flanagan said.
Contains reporting from AP and © AFP 2017
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Oh look more peaceful cars mowing over people.
@Mark Mcloughlin: Poor choice of vehicle for a terror-ram. Not even an especially big car. Maybe it was an especially stupid and incompetent terrorist, can’t rule it out for sure at this stage. Not the most likely motive given available pictures I would think.
@John Considine: Any vehicle no matter the size driven at pedestrians will cause serious damage or death.
@John Considine: You for real?
@John Considine: or a 90 year old blue rinse
@Mark Mcloughlin: “The incident is not believed to be terrorism-related.”
But hey, no let’s all jump to conclusions instead!
@Tricia Golden: RIGHT sure its not. And yes because its not like the journal to print lies is it? Baa Baa go back to your pen you dope
@Mark Mcloughlin: NYPD are saying drunk driver.
@Mark Mcloughlin: It’s not the Journal who said it, it’s the NYPD you moron
@Clever Jake: Yeah yeah yeah not like this s**t aint happened countless times already I am totally over reacting. throw them buzz word around all you like im not bothered tbh
@Mark Mcloughlin: Yeah, because nobody’s ever just crashed their car before.
@Mark Mcloughlin: You are a text book definition of one of those people that when presented with evidence that they are wrong instead of incorporating it into their opinion and changing their view they double down on it even in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Can your ego not handle being so wrong so publicly?
@Mark Mcloughlin: How do you know it is terrorism? Same thing happened on Henry St about 15 years ago and that wasnt terrorism just a desperate driver drunk out of his mind. But you go ahead and believe all the scaremongering rubbish that’s out there and believe all that’s printed. Baa yourself.
@Hugh Jass: guys Mark is clearly trolling. Just ignore the saddo.
@Mark Mcloughlin: Is that you, MarloweMallow?
@Tricia Golden: Eh pretty sure there was similar stories going round with all the other attacks and after all didnt the police cover up all them rapes NYE in Germany to avoid causing offence? Il reserve my judgement but can still see turning out same way and then of course you and all the other people here giving me stick will disappear. Again. Like you do every time ha.
@Guybrush Threepwood: Nah it says my name right there sure?
@Mark Mcloughlin: You can go to your safe space now Mark, it wasn’t the scary Muslim bogeyman, drunk driver, no need to be peeping through the wardrobe doors anymore!
@Clever Jake: This is his usual muck – when stuff like this happens he HOPES its a terrorist attack.
Turns out it’s looking very much like a drunk driver.
Of course, we’ll never see troll accounts highlighting the number of DUI deaths or comparing them to terrorsim related deaths.
@Mark Mcloughlin: In fairness you have invested a good dozen or so comments to this so it is understandable that it is difficult to admit you may have been wrong.
@Clever Jake: We should call ‘Terror Porn’, the Islamophobic posters on The Journal practically have their hands down their pants when they see a headline like this. It’s a disgusting fetish to have, hoping that people have been murdered by terrorists.
@Mark Mcloughlin: you sound like a triggered snowflake.
@Guybrush Threepwood: Nah not MarloweMallow’s style. .
@Tricia Golden: Yeh it’s actually a pretty well studied phenomenon, it’s called ‘the backfire effect’. And its pretty common many people seem to double down on an opinion even when faced with clear contrary facts. A very interesting read/listen.
@Ger: Trolling would imply competence. I think he’s just digging down at this point.
@Mark Mcloughlin: you’re an idiot
@Mark Mcloughlin: I don’t think you have any judgement left to reserve.
@Mark Mcloughlin: Oh look,more morons commenting without reading articles !
@John Considine: not a terrorist
@turnitalloff: I was fairly confident of that from just one photo. Hammers only ever see nails, eh Mark?
I smell a plot by Simon Coveney to discredit Leo Varad-Car.
USA please clean up your mess in the Middle East
Somebody tell Mark McLoughlin he can stop cowering under his bed, the nasty Muslim men aren’t coming to get him, LOL!
@Matty kinevan: Impostor knobhead
@Matty kinevan: it’s very hard to distinguish between you and your imposter but I’ve cracked it….he’s got a fat head
@Mark Heehee: lol
It could have been caused by the driver having a stroke/heartattack bit more than likely it’ll be terror related.
@Pappy O’Daniel: Europe has suffered the anger caused in North Africa & Middle East for years now
@abcyz: change the channel Marge
@Pappy O’Daniel: It’s far MORE LIKELY to be an accident that deliberate so waiting for confirmation is usually the most sensible option.
Turns out it was a drunk. There’ll be a Healy Rae on to defend him soon.
@DaisyChainsaw: could have just been a heavy lunch.
@Pappy O’Daniel: the driver jumped out of the car not likely a heart attack or stroke victim
@Old Gabby Johnson: I say we close all restaurants between the hours of 12 and 2 and stop pubs serving food during these hours. We need to get full drivers off the road.
I have a hard time believing this is terrorism, but I have a hard time ruling it out, as well.
@Serena Callum: In denial
@Serena Callum: If this is Isis or Isis inspired its going to give Trump a new wave of support .
@Serena Callum: The USA never suffer unlike Europe after the USA wars in North Africa & Middle East
@Serena Callum: why is it so hard to believe? I’m not saying it is terrorism but too say that, I find hard to believe, this is the favorite attack method of the feckers after all.
@abcyz: never, you must be unaware of twin towers attack
@Philip Mc dermott: The location: slow traffic, lots of barricades. I would have thought a terrorist would have picked a place where they could have done more damage. But, then again, Time Square is big-name place, easier to get publicity. I guess we will have to wait for further updates. Hopefully no critical damage has been done.
Well there is video of police putting the driver into a police car. On to . Reports are saying that it was driving the wrong way before it hit the pavement.
It’s IN the article “The incident is not believed to be terrorism-related.”
@Mark Mcloughlin: Early reports from the police are saying it wasn’t so it would be irrational to jump to Isis. The US actually has a problem with drivers ploughing into crowds of people for a long time now, though it’s more often elderly drivers going into markets. It was never big news before but it’s happened lots of times in the US and had nothing to do with Isis.
It’s perfectly reasonable that this was a drunk driver or a driver who lost control of the vehicle. But don’t let a little thing like common sense get in the way of your alternative facts there fella.
@Zx5vZulB: U must be unaware of the recent London Paris Brussels Berlin atrocities & even the recent Waterford arrests here
@Mark Mcloughlin: It was a man with previous convictions for drunk driving…..hardly Isis material but you never know
@Zx5vZulB: Did you forget Stockholm Nice & that innocent priest in Northern France too?
@abcyz: now compare the death tolls of your incidents to the one incident on American soil
@abcyz: Why do you think @gar is unaware of these highly reported stories you are mentioning? And if by some miracle he hasn’t, what does that have to do with his point that you said the US has never been attacked? It clearly has.
@Serena Callum: So you’re having a hard time!
@Mark Mcloughlin: Delusional man.
@Dave O Keeffe: Who is living in greater fear every day? Europe is unlike that closed to refugees (orphans & refugees caused by USA interventions in North Africa & Middle East) country protected by an ocean from those victims & easily brainwashed terrorists they left behind for Europe to deal with cleaning up their refugee caused mess, not to mention the awful terrorism threats & atrocities that already happened in Europe
@abcyz: and yet you’ve failed to give any numners
Coming to a town near you
@Geraldine McKenna: The USA- how many Syrian orphans have they let in??
@Geraldine McKenna :Drugs or alcohol they say
@abcyz: Tough luck lads..back to yer basements with ye
@Geraldine McKenna: not sure why you have adopted a female name for your profile but it doesnt tally with your photo fyi
@Francis Mc Carthy: Where you see that you liar?
@Mark Mcloughlin: On the live channel..http://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/channel/311-wcbtv-live/
This is why I’m so up to date Mark ;-)
@Francis Mc Carthy: Well given the amount of people slaughtered on western streets recently you’d be forgiven for jumping to conclusions.
@Geraldine McKenna: Do you mean drunk drivers?
@Geraldine McKenna: Thanks to the Healy Raes fighting against drink driving law?
@Geraldine McKenna: no, no you wouldn’t. “it happened before” is never an excuse to push your agenda
@Anne Marie Devlin: No I mean Islamic terrorists using vehicles as a means to kill innocent civilians,
@Geraldine McKenna: That’s not the case this time mate. I think you are confused. Take a paracetamol and a nap. Everything is going to fine.
@Geraldine McKenna: Plenty of drinking and driving in Dublin alright.
@Geraldine McKenna: Have you been triggered? Go to your safe place,there’s a wee pet.Let the adults deal with this…
The most potent weapon of terrorism is the fear of terrorism and the reactionary response which it triggers. The human brain is programmed to perceive the maximum threat.
Irrationality trumps rationality and proportionality.
There’s your Daly cliché soundbite folks
@Matty kinevan: it was aimed at you and about you.
@Matty kinevan: Yeah, except he’s right, isn’t he.
Most people seem to make the IMMEDIATE illogical link to terrorism rather than just wait for more information.
It’s almost as if the WANT it to be true because it will support their world view that “the muslims are coming to get us!!!”.
You’ve a MINISCULE risk of being involved in a terrorist incident but a far higher one of being run over by a drunk driver.
And yet, look at the people on here that immediately asserted terrorist. It IS illogical. And it is based in fear of something that most people have no reason to fear.
@Tony Daly: You need to stop getting your Fake News from the liberal left mainstream media Tony, and get it from The Beano and Bebo.com like myself and other truth-seekers do.
@Matty kinevan: I see that you are in the Twilight Zone.
@Tricia Golden: that is an enlightened and enlightening comment.
It seems there is more effort to claim this as terrorism by journal readers than by Isis. Perverts
@Zx5vZulB: And it seems people like you are ALWAYS on here say its not when its pretty obv it is. Wonder why??
@Zx5vZulB: yep , theres gonna be a lot of disappointed “you know its always a muslim ” heads if it turns out to be something else ,
@Mark Mcloughlin: people like me mark? You mean people who dont pre judge other people, people who dont jump to conclusions, people who dont get their kicks from spreading hate? Those people mark?
@Mark Mcloughlin: No. There are a few types of people.
The majority understand that events like these are sadly far too often terrorism related. Some of this group of people may comment in a questioning way – understandable. Others in this group are as likely to point out that nothing yet has been stated and hold off on publicaly stating so.
Some are completely blinkered and despite the frequency of things like this turning out to be terror related will insist it isn’t or won’t recognise facts.
Then there’s people like yourself who have an agenda. Blinkered isn’t the right word – but certainly single mindedly completely committed to trying to make the story about terrorism – most likely so that you can make it about muslims and probably at some point will use eye-rolling terms like “cultural suicide” and try to convince everyone else that you speak for all Irish….
or something equally as pathetic.
Ban assault cars!!!!!! Nobody needs high capacity cars !!!
@Steve: I think high capacity cars are called buses…
@Steve: Wow cool comment man.
@Matty kinevan: or muscle cars…
@Steve: awww. Far right froggy came back? Here, have a fly.
Possible ISIS incouraged?
@abcyz: Drunk driver.
@abcyz: *encouraged
@abcyz: Maybe a drunk ISIS Trump supporter, now that covers everything.
@Matty kinevan: Nobody likes a pedantic
@abcyz: *pedant
@Charles Williams: Driving a Lada.
@Matty kinevan: Just proving you were
Muslims I bet
@shane nolan: not sure if this was satire but I laughed. Just add “Muslims I bet, Ted” to clarify…
@shane nolan: He was from the Bronx ..
@Francis Mc Carthy: Again where you getting your info from pal??????
The NYPD Mark ! Stop calling me a liar.Thanks
@Mark Mcloughlin: Where are your getting your surplus question marks from?
@Neal Ireland Hello.: Probably the same place he left this pitchfork, flaming torch and a strange looking hat which seems to be made from aluminium foil.
If it turns out it was a jihadi we will be told by some that it wasnt really jihadism that motivated him but because he was depressed or couldn’t get a job.
@AR Devine: and if it’s not a Muslim then it will just be a mentally unstable person!
They’re saying now he was drunk.
@Philip Mc dermott: Nope. lies
@Mark Mcloughlin: nope looks like he was drunk he’s from the Bronx and has previous with drink driving
@Mark Mcloughlin: Sure of course the general manager of NASA knows better then all of us. Go away and get a job you waste of space
@Mark Mcloughlin: Turns out, its not lies at all. You must be feeling pretty silly right about now.
Maybe he ate a big meal
Drunk driver apparently
@Sinead: one dead 12 hurt also herd there callin for bomb squad on CNN
Drunk driver, history of the same. At least in America he will go away for a long time unlike here.
Does that sign under the cartoon rabbit say ‘ISIS Broadway’?
@Aaron: no.
We all want it to be a terrible accident but come on. It’s the new terror tactic . Wake up.
@purple rain: yeah, avoid an open mind at all costs.
@Tony Daly: bet you had an open mind for Paris and London too.
@purple rain: Yeah thats idea mate. Close your mind. That’s exactly what ISIS et all definitely don’t want you to do. I hope this comment comes across as sarcastic as I mean it.
@purple rain: the initial facts were strongly indicative of Jihadist terrorism in London and Paris. It would not have been sensible to posit an alternative hypothesis.
In this case the initial facts were more strongly indicative of an accident.
It is not always terrorism.
If everyone was armed this thing wouldn’t happen. More guns in American hands I say
Was in Times Square yesterday and the day before.. too tired to go back in today. Who knows what could have happened
@Rosie Murray: I could have booked a holiday to New York and be there today. You can only imagine the relief I am feeling.
The news networks will be gutted. Terrorist attack is much more sexy for them.
@Eamonn Sheen: It’s amazing how quickly the story slips away alright. The victims won’t be eulogised for days to come. They’re be no in depth reports into who supplied this guy with drink or if they knew he was driving etc… You could actually see the disappointed look on some of the faces of reporters.
Thankfully, it was not a terrorist attack.
It is sad but understandable how a certain mindset drives certain people, a minority, to jump to the wrong conclusion.
The guy driving the car just got arrested, so it must something dodgy
@Philip Mc dermott: yeah it sure is strange getting arrested for such a thing
@Philip Mc dermott: It doesn’t take alot to be arrested or if your bit unluckier shot by USA police.
@Geraldine McKenna: if it was a medical issue he wouldn’t have been arrested try and and keep up..
@Philip McDermott; people have been shot for less in the US. A police officer was acquitted today for shooting dead a man whose car broke down.
@James Darby: I live in the US I’m well aware of what goes on but where did I mention anyone getting Shot? I mentioned that he got arrested to point out that it must not have been medical, an older lady knocked someone down here last Sunday killing them she simply stepped on the wrong pedal she wasn’t arrested, not all cops are bad eggs lads.
Hope everyone is okay
More live footage from scene https://youtu.be/EgVJci-aHn4
https://youtu.be/nJPh3TLmMyo live from the scene
Is this part of the new Spider-Man movie??
@Paul Culligan: No, it’s a serious incident which has left several innocent people maimed or dead. You dick.
Charlie Flanagan a bit early off the blocks with his soundbyte. To cover himself he’ll have to comment on all US road traffic incidents for the next 6 months.
I can almost hear the exasperation and sobbing in the hacks offices across the world….
“But it really looked like an Isis attack at the start! Its just a nothing piece of news now”!
Back to watching the AP and Routers for more boring hours and the endless and almost monotonous daily drudge of wars that cant be filmed or reported on.
Shame!
Look at all the bigots jumping to the same conclusion they did for Dortmund… idiots.
They don’t make terrorists like they used to. In my day they crashes planes in buildings, killing thousands. If you’re going to do something, do it right from fck sake.
@SYM-Metal: Great hot take. Trés edgy.
@SYM-Metal: You’re so cool man. Can you teach me to be more like you?
@Steve: 10 out 10 for effort ..
@John Considine: READ The article
NEW YORK DRIVER CAUGHT ON CAMERA https://youtu.be/qRQhIqitPp4
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