Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Carnage

Driver Hits Multiple People on Times Square Sidewalk: 1 Dead, 22 Injured

Image: CBS

Late this morning, a motorist drove onto a Times Square sidewalk and hit multiple people.

Twenty-two people were injured and one was killed, Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner James O’Neill said at a press conference this afternoon.

The deceased victim was an 18-year-old woman. She was walking with her 13-year-old sister, who was also struck.

O’Neill said the suspect was driving a 2009 Honda southbound on Seventh Avenue at 11:55 a.m. before making a U-turn at 42nd Street. He then drove on the sidewalk from 42nd to 45th Street, hitting people along the way. The driver came to a stop after striking bollards at Broadway and W. 45th Street. He was tackled by a witness as he tried to run away from the scene.

Of the 22 injured, four victims were transported to hospitals in critical condition. They were not considered “likely to die.” Three were in serious condition.

Police took Richard Rojas, 26, in custody at the scene. NY1 reported that Rojas, a Bronx resident, was arrested for drunk driving in Queens in 2008, and again in Manhattan in 2015. It is unknown whether Rojas has a valid drivers license. During the press conference, O’Neill said Rojas was being tested for impairment and questioned by police.

News of the crash appeared on Twitter at around noon. Photos showed the smoking car mounted on bollards at Broadway and W. 45th Street.

Journalist David Shuster tweeted that buildings in the area were on lockdown, but CBS reported not long after the crash that NYPD did not suspect a terror attack. Video posted on Instagram and later removed showed police leading a man in handcuffs to an NYPD vehicle.

Governor Cuomo was on the scene about a half-hour after the crash.

Pedestrian injuries dropped 40 percent after DOT redesigned Times Square under former mayor Michael Bloomberg. Without bollards and other measures to make walking safer, it appears this crash could have been worse.

As horrific as today's crash was, it is not unusual for drivers to maim and kill people on NYC sidewalks. Before today, NYC drivers had killed no fewer than 49 people on sidewalks and in buildings since 2012, according to crash data tracked by Streetsblog.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to include more details about the crash.]

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Money for Something: Funding OK’d, But Details Missing For ‘Dept. Of Sustainable Delivery’

The mayor got the Council to sign off on $6.1 million for the long-awaited “Department of Sustainable Delivery." But what's it mean? No one is talking.

July 1, 2025

Incoming Albany Mayor Could Help Safe Streets Movement Statewide

The state capital is built for the car and that is how it is experienced by our lawmakers. But could that change under a new mayor? Here's hoping.

July 1, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Another Child Sacrificed to the SUV Edition

Stop de kindermoord! An 8-year-old boy killed by an SUV driver is the latest victim of America's obsession with big cars. Plus other news.

July 1, 2025

DOT Testimony: Removing Bedford Ave. Bike Lane Will ‘Reduce Safety’

"Removing the protected bike lane won’t remove cyclists — it will only make the street less safe," the DOT said. "The city risks legal liability for knowingly reducing safety on a Vision Zero priority corridor."

June 30, 2025

Hochul Signs Speed Camera Reauthorization, Enforcement Continues Through 2030

Stating a clear fact that scores of state legislators reject, Hochul said, "Speed cameras save lives and keep New Yorkers safe."

June 30, 2025

Cyclists Tell Judge Carolyn Walker-Diallo: The Bedford Ave. Bike Lane is a Lifesaver

A judge will decide the fate of the Bedford Avenue bike lane on Tuesday. Streetsblog offers some user affidavits.

June 30, 2025
See all posts