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2017 New York City truck attack

SOLVED2017Hudson River Park bike path, West Street, Lower Manhattan3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · ongoing investigation — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On the afternoon of October 31, 2017, Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov rented a pickup truck at a Home Depot in Passaic, New Jersey, drove into Manhattan via the George Washington Bridge, and turned onto the Hudson River Greenway bike path near Houston Street. Over approximately one mile, he struck cyclists and pedestrians, reaching speeds of up to 66 mph, before crashing into a school bus near Chambers Street. Eight people were killed and thirteen others were injured. Six of the eight fatalities were foreign tourists — five from Argentina, part of a group of former classmates celebrating a graduation anniversary, and one from Belgium — while two were Americans, Darren Drake and Nicholas Cleves. Additional victims included members of a second Belgian family; one woman later required a double leg amputation due to her injuries.

After the crash, Saipov exited the vehicle brandishing what were later identified as a paintball gun and a pellet gun, reportedly shouting "Allahu Akbar." He was shot in the abdomen by NYPD officer Ryan Nash and taken into custody. Investigators recovered a document expressing allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and a black flag associated with the group inside the truck. According to a criminal complaint, Saipov told police he had planned the attack for about a year, chose Halloween because he expected more people to be on the street, and had conducted a test drive along the route on October 22. ISIL later claimed responsibility for the attack in its newsletter, al-Naba, describing Saipov as a "soldier of the Caliphate."

Saipov, born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 1988, immigrated to the United States in 2010 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa program and worked variously as a truck driver and Uber driver. Federal agents had interviewed him in 2015 regarding contacts with suspected terrorists, but no case was opened at that time.

Federal prosecutors initially charged Saipov with providing material support for terrorism resulting in death; charges were later expanded to include eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering, twelve counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related counts. He pleaded not guilty in November 2017. Jury selection began in October 2022, and on January 26, 2023, Saipov was found guilty on all charges. The jury did not reach agreement on imposing the death penalty. On May 17, 2023, he was sentenced to eight consecutive life-without-parole terms, plus two concurrent life terms, plus 260 years, and is incarcerated at ADX Florence.

Following the attack, the New York City Police Department and city officials installed temporary and later permanent anti-vehicle bollards along the Hudson River Park bike path, a safety measure advocacy groups had sought since earlier fatal incidents on the path. The attack was described as the deadliest terrorist incident in New York City since September 11, 2001, and prompted public statements from then-President Donald Trump, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Governor Andrew Cuomo, as well as debate over the Diversity Immigrant Visa program.

Key facts

Victims
Ariel Erlij, Ann-Laure Decadt, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco, Diego Enrique Angelini, Hernan Diego Mendoza, Darren Drake, Hernan Ferruchi, Nicholas Cleves
Date
2017
Location
Hudson River Park bike path, West Street, Lower Manhattan
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2017-10-22

    Saipov rented a truck to conduct what prosecutors said was a test drive along the planned attack route.

  2. 2017-10-31

    Saipov rented a pickup truck in Passaic, New Jersey, drove it onto the Hudson River Greenway bike path in Lower Manhattan, killing eight people and injuring thirteen, before crashing into a school bus and being shot and arrested by police.

  3. 2017-11-01

    Federal prosecutors charged Saipov with providing material support for terrorism resulting in death.

  4. 2017-11-21

    Charges against Saipov were expanded to include eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering and twelve counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering.

  5. 2017-11-28

    Saipov pleaded not guilty to all charges of murder and terrorism.

  6. 2018-01-17

    Defense counsel offered a guilty plea in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table; the offer was not accepted.

  7. 2022-10

    Jury selection began in Saipov's federal trial.

  8. 2023-01-26

    Saipov was found guilty on all murder charges.

  9. 2023-02-14

    Sentencing phase began, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty.

  10. 2023-05-17

    Saipov was sentenced to eight consecutive life-without-parole terms plus two concurrent life terms plus 260 years.

Best coverage

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People

  • Ariel Erlij

    VICTIM

    Argentine tourist, part of a group of former classmates from Rosario, killed in the attack.

    citation on file

  • Ryan Nash

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    NYPD officer who shot and apprehended Saipov after the attack.

    citation on file

  • Ann-Laure Decadt

    VICTIM

    31-year-old mother of two from Staden, Belgium, killed while on vacation in New York City.

    citation on file

  • Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov

    CONVICTED

    Convicted in January 2023 on all charges, including eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering and providing material support for terrorism; sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2023.

    citation on file

  • Alejandro Damian Pagnucco

    VICTIM

    Argentine tourist, part of a group of former classmates from Rosario, killed in the attack.

    citation on file

  • Diego Enrique Angelini

    VICTIM

    Argentine tourist, part of a group of former classmates from Rosario, killed in the attack.

    citation on file

  • Hernan Diego Mendoza

    VICTIM

    Argentine tourist, part of a group of former classmates from Rosario, killed in the attack.

    citation on file

  • Darren Drake

    VICTIM

    32-year-old American from New Milford, New Jersey, killed in the attack.

    citation on file

  • Hernan Ferruchi

    VICTIM

    Argentine tourist, part of a group of former classmates from Rosario, killed in the attack.

    citation on file

  • Nicholas Cleves

    VICTIM

    23-year-old American from Manhattan, killed in the attack.

    citation on file

Places

Hudson River Park bike path, West Street, Lower Manhattan

40.7171, -74.0128

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On October 31, 2017, Sayfullo Saipov drove a rented pickup truck for about one mile along a Hudson River Park bike path in Lower Manhattan, killing eight people and injuring thirteen others before crashing into a school bus. He was convicted in 2023 on all charges, including murder in aid of racketeering and providing material support to ISIL, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Where did the crime happen?
Hudson River Park bike path, West Street, Lower Manhattan.
Who was convicted?
Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov (Convicted in January 2023 on all charges, including eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering and providing material support for terrorism; sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2023.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. 2017 New York City truck attackwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — The New York Timesnews · The New York Times · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — ABC Newsnews · ABC News · 2026-07-07
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