Richard Rojas, the driver of a maroon 2009 Honda Accord, sped into pedestrians in Times Square after having jumped the sidewalk on the west side of Seventh Avenue at 42nd Street,[2][3] outside the Reuters Building.

[4] He continued for three blocks before crashing into traffic bollards at the northwest corner of 45th Street and Seventh Avenue, at Broadway.

[4][6][7] Richard Rojas (born 1991), a 26-year-old resident of the Bronx and a military veteran, was arrested and charged after the crash.

[14] According to authorities and his friends, his mental health issues dated back to his childhood though he never sought psychiatric care, becoming more paranoid and increasing his intake of marijuana and alcohol.

[16] A week before the incident, he was arrested and charged with pointing a knife at a notary, whom he accused of stealing his identity.

[1] In an interview for the New York Post on May 21, he said he had no recollection of the incident or any statements he made when arrested and sought help in the prior week, including speaking to a mental health counselor at a veteran's affairs center, who promised to call him on Monday (May 22).

[17] Bill de Blasio, the Mayor of New York City, and other officials have said there is no indication the incident was an act of terrorism.

[3] According to a criminal complaint, Rojas admitted smoking marijuana laced with PCP before driving the car.

[25] Defense psychiatrist Dr. Ziv Cohen from Weill Cornell Medicine at Columbia University testified that Rojas had schizophrenia, and had begun hearing voices while in the navy.

was hired to represent Alyssa and her father Thomas Elsman, as well as several other relatives and survivors of the incident in a case against Rojas.

[32] The claimants include Thomas Elsman, as well as victims Gayatari Jariwala, William McCollough, Destiny Lightfoot, and Caroline Jacobs.

[35] He countersued the plaintiffs, blaming their injuries on their own culpable conduct, and holding their respective insurance companies solely responsible for paying their expenses.