Deaths mount in New York truck ramming terror attack

A man drove a truck onto a bike path in Manhattan, killing several victims, in what the New York mayor described as a “cowardly act of terror.”

A law enforcement official says at least eight people were killed and at least 15 people were struck by a rented van near the World Trade Center in New York City Tuesday afternoon. The official was familiar with the investigation but wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The rented Home Depot van drove onto a busy bicycle path and struck several people, then the driver emerged from the vehicle screaming.

Police say the man was shot by officers and is in custody, adding that the attack was “likely terror-related.” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the incident was a “cowardly act of terror.”

After driving onto the busy bicycle path and striking several people, the motorist emerged from the vehicle screaming and firing something that appeared to be a gun. A witness says the truck had also collided with a small bus and one other vehicle.

An Associated Press photographer on the scene Tuesday witnessed at least two bodies lying motionless on the path beneath tarps. A man who was riding in an Uber along the West Side Highway near Chambers street says he saw several bleeding people on the ground after a truck struck several people.

By: AP and World Israel News Staff