The U-Haul truck driver who rammed into 12 people, killing one, in Brooklyn earlier this year was indicted on murder charges on Monday.
Weng Sor, 62, was arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on a 25-count indictment for the mayhem on Feb. 13, when he began mowing down civilians in Sunset Park, before sending police on a wild chase that ended after a half hour near the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.
Throughout the course of his rampage, Sor allegedly hit 10 civilians and injured two police officers.
“This was a terrifying incident in which we allege that an innocent pedestrian and numerous cyclists were intentionally targeted and mowed down by this defendant, including a father of three who did not survive his injuries. We will now seek to bring the defendant to justice and to keep the streets of Brooklyn safe,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
Sor, who was being pursued by police, allegedly went south from Sunset Park to Bay Ridge, before hopping on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and driving north to Red Hook, where police finally boxed him in and arrested him — but not before a police officer was struck and injured at that scene.
One pedestrian, YiJie Ye, was killed on the scene.
Ye, a 44-year-old single father, had been working as a food delivery driver on an e-bike when the mayhem broke out, and he was struck by the U-Haul near Bay Ridge Parkway and Fifth Avenue. Paramedics rushed Ye to an area hospital, but doctors subsequently pronounced him dead.
Community members later raised over $121,000 for Ye’s family, and to support his family members.
Several other people suffered injuries — including multiple rib fractures, a pelvic fracture, broken legs, injury to the head, ankle, and knee.
Several of them required surgery as a result of their injuries, Gonzaelz’s office said.
Now, the DA announced the indictment, which included charges of second-degree murder, first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault and first-degree attempted assault.
Sor was ordered held without bail and to return to court on May 31.
