United States – A woman is dead and 22 other people injured after a car sped on to a pavement in New York City's Times Square, the fire department said on the 18 May 17. The 26-year-old driver, a US Navy veteran and US citizen, is in custody. "There is no indication that this was an act of terrorism," said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. The maroon Honda jumped the kerb and travelled for three blocks before crashing. Photos showed the sedan partially on its side on the pavement with smoke and flames spewing from the bonnet. The crash follows recent deadly car-ramming attacks in London, Berlin, France, Israel and Sweden. The FBI is investigating the incident at the Midtown Manhattan tourist venue, but so far officials say there is no terror link. NYPD said the suspect, Richard Rojas, is a Bronx resident who was arrested in 2008 and 2015 for drunk driving. Police believe the suspect was reportedly was high on synthetic marijuana, known as K2, ABC News reported, citing law enforcement sources. Initial tests reportedly came back negative for alcohol but positive for drugs. "It is believed to be an isolated incident, it remains under investigation," the New York Police Department said on Twitter. City authorities said they would nevertheless deploy extra police from anti-terror units to key locations around the city as a precaution. The vehicle jumped the kerb at 45th Street and Broadway at 1155 hrs local time (1655 hrs GMT) and drove at high speed before crashing into a pole. One person was covered with a white cloth. Among those hurt, four were in critical condition and three sustained serious injuries, according to the fire department. The department said 15 other victims suffered less serious injuries. 361 COMMENT: Although there are claims at the time of reporting that this incident was not terrorist related there is a chance that this may change. In another report there is a claim that the vehicle drove for approximately four city blocks on the pavement/sidewalk before coming to a halt. The casualty level is very high as well for just a normal style incident. The claim by the NYPD that they were deploying more police also would indicate that at this stage they were also unsure. COMMENT ENDS