CAR BOMB IN TIMES SQUARE - THIS IS NO ACCIDENT
From: New York attorney Gary E. Rosenberg (personal injury and accident attorney and lawyer; serving Brooklyn Queens Bronx; Brooklyn Accident Lawyer)
Police interrupted an attempt to ignite a bomb hidden in a Nissan Pathfinder in New York City's Times Square discovered on Saturday May 1, 2010, at between 6:30 and 7:00 PM.
A t-shirt vendor working on the street told a mounted cop, Officer Wayne Rhatigan, that he saw the smoking S.U.V. on the southwest corner of 45th St. and Broadway. P.O. Rhatigan enlisted the help of two rookie female officers patrolling the area, called for assistance, and started moving back the crowd of people walking through the heart of New York City's theater district. The two female officers reported seeing a man running from the scene.
New York City firefighters and the police bomb squad rushed to the scene.
According to police, inside the running vehicle were three propane gas tanks, two red 5-gallon plastic jugs of gasoline, a clock, electrical components and a canister of gunpowder. Authorities surmise that the bomb, while potentially deadly, was more likely to combust and cause a fire than to explode.
At an early morning press conference - at around 1:00 AM - New York City Mayor Bloomberg acknowledged how lucky New York had been and said, "Thanks to alert New Yorkers and professional police officers we avoided what could have been a very deadly event."
Authorities are studying surveillance video of the area.
Seven Broadway shows closed down, including "Billy Elliot" and "The Lion King," which is located directly behind the would-be car bomb. Manhattan area traffic was shut down from 44th to 49th Streets between Sixth and Eighth Avenues.
Police said that the Nissan Pathfinder appeared to be stolen and had Connecticut license plates belonging to another car. No injuries have been reported.
The White House said President Obama had been briefed on the episode and had pledged federal assistance in the investigation.
A federal official said that domestic security officials had been informed that the event did not appear to be a terrorist threat. The official referred all requests for additional information to New York City police.
