Driver in Times Square incident charged with murder, 20 counts of attempted murder

Car crash in Times Square.
(Image credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

Richard Rojas, the driver who plowed into pedestrians in New York City's Times Square on Thursday, has been charged with murder, 20 counts of attempted murder, and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. Rojas, 26, was arrested Thursday after he drove his car through the crowded tourist site just before noon, killing an 18-year-old tourist and injuring 22 others, four of them critically. He was arrested after he attempted to flee his vehicle.

Initial tests indicated that Rojas, a resident of the Bronx and a Navy veteran discharged due to disciplinary issues, was under the influence of the drug PCP, The Washington Post reported. Police reported Rojas said he was "hearing voices." He has been arrested twice before for drunken driving.

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