The driver of a rental box truck was arrested this week after striking several pedestrians in New York City.
A U-Haul barreled into a sidewalk Monday morning, causing at least eight injuries. The driver was taken into custody following the incident in Brooklyn.
One man injured after being struck by the vehicle later died of his injuries.
Video surveillance footage caught a man driving a U-Haul truck speeding on a sidewalk through a neighborhood in Brooklyn on Monday.
At least eight people were hurt, including two people who were in critical condition, the New York City Fire Department said in an email. pic.twitter.com/bHhW5Fx7VC
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 13, 2023
The incident occurred due to the actions of a homeless man identified as Weng Sor, aged 62. According to police, Sor drove the vehicle through Brooklyn streets and sidewalks for approximately half an hour.
Law enforcement believes that Sor struck individuals in at least six different locations prior to his vehicle being stopped in the Red Hook neighborhood.
After being stopped, the suspect allegedly told police to shoot him, stating that he desired his own death after being apprehended.
One of the patients struck in the crash is listed in critical condition. Four other individuals are listed in stable condition.
As of Monday night, Sor has not yet been charged by law enforcement. However, this isn’t his first record with the police. Sor was previously arrested in 2019 for entering into moving traffic and yelling in Queens.
Family members stated that Sor has a history of mental illness. He previously served 17 months in prison in Nevada for stabbing his brother with a knife.
He also served another sentence for stabbing another person in 2020. After the later incident, Sor underwent a psychiatric evaluation.
The suspect’s brother-in-law described him as schizophrenic in an interview with the New York Post.
Police are still investigating the potential motive behind the incident. The suspect’s son, Stephen Sor, stated that his father will “choose to skip out on his medications and do something like this.” The son added that his father arrived unexpectedly in Brooklyn a week earlier.
The elder Sor had previously lived with his mother in Las Vegas prior to moving to Florida. Family members described the suspect as an individual with a long record of behavioral issues.
