Truck Hits New York Group Celebrating Fourth of July

Three people were killed and others were hurt after a pickup truck "driving at a high rate of speed" hit a group celebrating the Fourth of July at a New York City park, according to officials.

The vehicle, a Ford F-150, ran through an intersection in Lower Manhattan, drove on the sidewalk and struck people gathered to celebrate the holiday at Corlears Hook Park around 8:55 p.m. ET, police said. City officials confirmed that three people were killed and seven were injured, including a mother and her two young children.

Several were transported to hospitals. Two were in critical conditions and three were seriously injured, according to officials.

Mayor Eric Adams said that, according to a preliminary investigation, the driver appeared to be under the influence. "You have a tragic incident like this that really impacts family members who were just here, celebrating and barbecuing inside a park," Adams said during a news conference on Thursday.

A police spokesperson confirmed to The New York Times on Thursday that a person had been taken into custody. Police officials reportedly smelled alcohol on the driver and tests were being conducted to make official conclusions.

A clip shared on social media shows the aftermath of the incident, with a small crowd gathered to look on as officials shut down the road.

Chief Michael V. Meyers of the New York City Fire Department said during the news conference that up to 200 people were gathered at Manhattan's Lower East Side park at the time of the incident.

According to media reports, many were people living in the neighborhood who had gone out to have a barbecue with friends and family. One such people told The New York Times she was "traumatized" after hearing people screaming and seeing other under the truck.

Firefighters, who arrived at the scene less than four minutes after the incident, said the pickup truck was "on top of four victims." Newsweek contacted the New York City Fire Department for more information by email early on Friday morning.

Update 7/5/24, 6:13 a.m. ET: This breaking news article was updated to include more information on the incident.