At least two dead after suspected drunk driver rams July 4 Independence Day party

At least two people have died and several others were injured when a suspected drunk driver plowed into a group celebrating the Fourth of July in Lower Manhattan, New York.

At around 8:55 p.m. local time on Thursday, a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck drove through the intersection of Water and Cherry Streets, ran a stop sign and drove into Corlears Hook Park, where people were celebrating Independence Day, the New York Police Department confirmed in a press conference.

Authorities said the truck was traveling at high speed and hit the sidewalk before entering the park and hitting victims who were “outside enjoying the evening.”

Police said two people were dead upon arrival and there were nine injuries in total. They added that they believe alcohol played a role in the incident, but stressed that the investigation is still in its early stages.

Mayor Eric Adams said the suspect drove into the crowd, which was “simply celebrating, as so many New Yorkers and Americans are doing right now.”

“A total of nine people were injured and according to preliminary investigations it appears at this point that the driver was under the influence,” he added during the conference.

“At this point, it does not appear that this was a terrorist incident,” Adams added.

FDNY Chief Michael Meyers said emergency services confirmed that four people were critically injured, three were seriously injured and two were in relatively stable condition.

According to WABC, ABC News and NBC News, a third person has now died in the incident.

The NYPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

During the briefing, Chief Meyers added that firefighters arrived on scene within three minutes and 44 seconds and encountered a pickup truck lying on top of four victims.

Authorities said during the conference that they believe witnesses arrested the driver and prevented him from leaving before emergency services arrived at the scene, adding that a mother with two young children is believed to be among those affected.

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According to WABC, the victims were a 59-year-old woman, a 38-year-old man and a woman in her early 40s. The station said the youngest of the injured was 11 years old.

“After he made that sharp right turn, so many people started screaming. He turned into the batting area where we usually have barbecue. It’s a family we all know. The Lower East Side sticks together,” a witness told the publication.

“I can’t get the screaming out of my head,” another witness told the New York Post.

Abdo Yahya, a 30-year-old father of three who has lived in the area for 18 years, told the newspaper: “Nothing like this has ever happened here. I mean, they argue. They fight. But nothing like this. My children are now afraid to go outside.”