A man steered his car onto a sidewalk in New York could have mental disorders

The man who drove into a crowd of pedestrians in Times Square in New York City, killing an 18-year-old girl and injured another 22 people are likely to have mental disorders, reports Associated Press.

According to the agency, after the car overturned, left wheels up, the driver, a 26-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, Richard Rojas, ran screaming from it and tried to escape, waving his hands.

Later he told officers he was hearing voices and expected to die, two law enforcement officials said.

Rojas initially tested negative for alcohol, but more detailed drug tests were pending, according to two law enforcement officials who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Helpless pedestrians had little time to react as the car barreled down the sidewalk and through intersections before smashing into a row of steel security barriers installed to prevent vehicle attacks on the square where massive crowds gather every New Year’s Eve. The car came to rest with its two right wheels in the air.

Police said 23 people were struck, including an 18-year-old tourist from Michigan who died. The woman’s 13-year-old sister was among the injured.

The carnage raised immediate fears of terrorism, fueled by recent attacks in England, France and Germany in which vehicles plowed through crowds of pedestrians. But investigators quickly turned their focus to the sobriety and mental health of the driver, identified as Bronx resident Richard Rojas.

A week ago, Rojas was arrested and charged with pointing a knife at a notary, whom he accused of stealing his identity. He pleaded guilty to a harassment violation.

He was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated in 2008 and 2015, police Commissioner James O’Neill said. He pleaded guilty to an infraction in 2015 and was ordered to complete a drunken-driving program and lost his license for 90 days.

In previous arrests, he told authorities he believed he was being harassed and followed, one of the law enforcement officials said.