U-Haul truck hits, injures 8 pedestrians in New York City; 2 critical

A man driving a U-Haul truck struck and injured several pedestrians in New York City on Monday before police were able to pin the careening vehicle against a building following a mileslong pursuit through Brooklyn.

At least eight people were hurt at two locations, including two people who were in criticial condition, the New York City Fire Department said in an email.

The truck sped through the Bay Ridge neighbourhood of Brooklyn, hitting people on a sidewalk at one point, before police stopped it more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) away near the entrance to a tunnel leading from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

Aerial video from news helicopters showed the truck on a sidewalk, its path blocked by a police cruiser.

Authorities were examining the truck to make sure it didn't contain explosives.

A spokesperson for New York City Mayor Eric Adams said a suspect was in custody.

There are no additional credible threats at this time, Fabien Levy tweeted.

The incident coincided with the start of the death penalty phase in the trial of Sayfullo Saipov, an Islamic extremist who killed eight people in 2017 by mowing them down with a rented truck.

It was not clear whether the two events were related.