The show will go on tonight, according to the Broadway League, after a car crash in Times Square that left one pedestrian dead and approximately 22 others injured. Theatregoers should allow for additional travel time and plan to approach theatres from Sixth Avenue or Eighth Avenue while police still have most of Times Square cordoned off.
A maroon Honda Accord driving down Seventh Avenue abruptly made a U-turn on a sidewalk and drove the wrong way north for about three blocks before crashing at 45th Street and Broadway at approximately noon, colliding into a light post on the northwest corner of the intersection. The hood of the vehicle was left crumpled, and the two right wheels were lifted above the street.
“He’s just mowing down people,” Brooklyn resident Asa Lowe told the Associated Press. “He didn’t stop. He just kept going.” Following the crash, the driver fled the vehicle. “He just started running until people tackled him down,” according to Lowe.
The pedestrian killed was an 18-year-old female, according to police.
The 26-year-old driver of the vehicle—a former member of the army—has had a history of DWI arrests and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. He has since been taken into custody.
Several blocks in Times Square have been cordoned off from traffic and pedestrians.
Theatregoers are advised to allow for additional travel time if attending Broadway shows May 18. Ticketholders and pedestrian traffic are advised to enter the theatre district via 6th or 8th Avenues.
“Broadway is a community, and we work together very closely on the safety and security of our theatregoers and employees,” said Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin in a statement. “In all emergencies impacting security, we closely coordinate our efforts with the NYC Police Department and the security personnel of the Times Square Alliance. Individual theatre responses are activated as necessary based upon the direction given by the NYC police and the specifics of the situation. Broadway has extensive security procedures in our theatres and in the Theatre District with the primary purpose of protecting our theatregoers while they attend our productions.”
Following the incident, Mayor Bill de Blasio stated at the scene, “At this moment, there is no indication that this was an act of terrorism.”
"There's no indication this was an act of terrorism," NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio says at presser addressing Times Square incident pic.twitter.com/jV4UXB25ZL
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 18, 2017
BREAKING: At least 13 injured after car strikes pedestrians in New York's Times Square, police say https://t.co/QASuuIkECI pic.twitter.com/Nib9Eel4Qh
— CNN (@CNN) May 18, 2017