Sayfullo Saipov and the 2017 New York City Truck Attack
Background
Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov was responsible for the October 31, 2017, vehicle-ramming attack on a crowded bicycle path in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Driving a rented pickup truck, Saipov deliberately struck cyclists and pedestrians along the Hudson River Greenway, killing eight people and injuring at least 11 others. The attack was carried out in support of the Islamic State terrorist organization and became the deadliest terrorist attack in New York City since September 11, 2001.
Saipov was born on February 8, 1988, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He entered the United States in 2010 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program and became a lawful permanent resident. He lived at different times in Ohio, Florida, and New Jersey and worked in transportation-related jobs, including as a commercial truck driver and rideshare driver. By 2017, he was living in Paterson, New Jersey.
Planning the Attack
According to evidence presented by federal prosecutors, Saipov became absorbed in Islamic State propaganda and collected extremist videos and images on his electronic devices. Investigators determined that he had been considering an attack for an extended period and had studied Islamic State instructions encouraging supporters to use vehicles as weapons against civilians.
Saipov selected Halloween because he expected large numbers of people to be outside. He also chose a route near several prominent New York City landmarks, including the World Trade Center complex. On October 22, 2017, nine days before the attack, he rented a truck and conducted a test drive to familiarize himself with operating the vehicle and traveling through the area. He later told investigators that he initially intended to continue toward the Brooklyn Bridge, where he hoped to strike additional pedestrians.
The October 31, 2017 Attack
On the afternoon of October 31, 2017, Saipov rented a white Ford Super Duty pickup truck from a Home Depot location in Passaic, New Jersey. He drove across the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan and traveled south along the West Side Highway. At approximately 3:05 p.m., near Houston Street and Pier 40, he turned the truck onto the protected Hudson River Greenway bicycle path.
Saipov drove south through an area reserved for cyclists and pedestrians. He accelerated as he pursued people along the path, striking individuals and groups who had little opportunity to escape. Among those in his path were tourists, New York residents, commuters, and people enjoying an afternoon bicycle ride. The truck traveled approximately one mile between Houston Street and Chambers Street, leaving victims and damaged bicycles scattered along the route.
One group consisted of longtime friends from Rosario, Argentina. The men had attended the Instituto Politécnico Superior together and traveled to New York to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their graduation. Five members of the group were killed, while another member was seriously injured. A Belgian tourist, Ann-Laure Decadt, was also killed while cycling with members of her family. Several other Belgian visitors suffered severe injuries.
The attack ended near Chambers Street when Saipov drove across a median and crashed the truck into a school bus carrying children and adults. People aboard the bus were injured in the collision. The crash prevented Saipov from continuing toward the Brooklyn Bridge and brought the vehicle to a stop near Stuyvesant High School.
Confrontation and Arrest
After crashing, Saipov exited the truck carrying objects that appeared to be handguns. They were later identified as a paintball gun and a pellet gun. Witnesses reported that he shouted an Arabic religious phrase as he moved through the street. New York Police Department Officer Ryan Nash confronted him and ordered him to stop.
When Saipov continued advancing while displaying the imitation weapons, Officer Nash opened fire and struck him in the abdomen. Saipov fell to the ground and was taken into custody. Emergency personnel transported him to Bellevue Hospital Center, where he underwent surgery and survived his injuries.
Investigators recovered knives, Islamic State material, and handwritten notes from or near the truck. The notes expressed support for the terrorist organization. During an interview at the hospital, Saipov admitted that he had intentionally driven onto the bicycle path and said he had been inspired by Islamic State propaganda. Prosecutors said he appeared proud of the attack and asked whether an Islamic State flag could be displayed in his hospital room.
Victims Killed on October 31, 2017
- Diego Enrique Angelini — An Argentine citizen from Rosario who was visiting New York with former classmates to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their graduation. He was killed on the Hudson River Greenway in Lower Manhattan on October 31, 2017.
- Ariel Erlij — A 48-year-old Argentine businessman and member of the Rosario group. Erlij reportedly helped pay travel expenses so that several friends could participate in the reunion trip. He was killed on the bicycle path on October 31, 2017.
- Hernán Ferruchi — An Argentine citizen and former classmate traveling with the anniversary group. He was killed while cycling along the Hudson River Greenway on October 31, 2017.
- Hernán Diego Mendoza — An Argentine architect and member of the group of longtime friends from Rosario. He was killed on the Lower Manhattan bicycle path on October 31, 2017.
- Alejandro Damián Pagnucco — An Argentine citizen who had traveled to New York for the graduation-anniversary reunion. He was killed on the Hudson River Greenway on October 31, 2017.
- Ann-Laure Decadt — A 31-year-old Belgian woman from Staden and the mother of two children. She was visiting New York with family members and was riding a bicycle when Saipov struck her on October 31, 2017.
- Darren Drake — A 32-year-old resident of New Milford, New Jersey, who worked as a project manager at the World Trade Center. He was riding a Citi Bike during a break from work when he was killed on October 31, 2017.
- Nicholas Cleves — A 23-year-old Manhattan resident who had recently graduated from Skidmore College. He was cycling along the Hudson River Greenway when he was killed near the end of Saipov’s route on October 31, 2017.
Survivors and Lasting Injuries
At least 11 people other than Saipov were injured during the attack. Survivors came from the United States, Argentina, Belgium, and other countries. Some were struck directly by the truck, while others were injured when the vehicle crashed into the school bus. Several victims suffered broken bones, crushing injuries, severe internal trauma, or permanent disabilities.
Among the surviving Belgian tourists was a woman whose injuries ultimately required the amputation of both legs. Her husband also suffered serious injuries and endured an extended physical recovery. Martín Marro, a member of the Argentine group, was badly injured but survived. Testimony during Saipov’s trial described years of medical treatment, emotional trauma, financial disruption, and grief experienced by survivors and the families of those killed.
Federal Charges
Saipov was prosecuted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Federal prosecutors charged him with offenses including murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, and violence and destruction of a motor vehicle resulting in death.
The murder and attempted-murder allegations were tied to prosecutors’ argument that Saipov committed the attack while seeking membership or status within the Islamic State organization. Saipov pleaded not guilty. His attorneys did not dispute that he had driven the truck and killed the victims, but they challenged portions of the government’s legal theory concerning his relationship with the terrorist group.
Trial and Conviction
Saipov’s federal trial began in Manhattan in January 2023. Jurors heard testimony from investigators, police officers, survivors, medical personnel, and relatives of the victims. Prosecutors presented security recordings, photographs, electronic evidence, Saipov’s statements, and material recovered from his devices and the rental truck.
On January 26, 2023, the jury convicted Saipov on all 28 federal counts. The verdict included eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering and numerous counts connected to the people he attempted to kill. Because the federal government sought capital punishment, the proceedings then moved into a separate penalty phase.
Death-Penalty Proceedings
During the penalty phase, prosecutors argued that the calculated nature of the attack, the number of victims, Saipov’s ideological motivation, and his conduct after the killings justified a death sentence. Survivors and family members described the lives of those killed and the continuing physical and emotional consequences of the attack.
The defense presented testimony concerning Saipov’s upbringing, family, mental state, religious radicalization, and behavior in custody. Under federal law, every juror was required to agree before a death sentence could be imposed. On March 13, 2023, the jury announced that it could not reach a unanimous decision in favor of execution. The lack of unanimity required the court to impose life imprisonment instead.
Sentencing
On May 17, 2023, Saipov was formally sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for the eight murders. He received two additional concurrent life sentences and a further 260 years of imprisonment for the remaining terrorism, attempted-murder, and vehicle-destruction offenses.
The sentence ensured that Saipov would never be released from federal custody. The consecutive terms symbolically recognized each person whose life he deliberately took, while the additional sentences reflected the injuries inflicted on survivors and the broader terrorist nature of the attack.
Legacy of the Attack
The October 31, 2017, attack transformed an ordinary afternoon bicycle ride into one of the darkest events in modern New York City history. The victims represented three countries and included parents, friends, professionals, students, and travelers. Five had spent decades maintaining a friendship that began at school in Argentina, while the other victims were pursuing their own routines, careers, vacations, and family lives.
Following the attack, authorities installed stronger security barriers and vehicle-blocking bollards along portions of the Hudson River Greenway. The prosecution also became a major federal terrorism case, addressing how online propaganda could influence an individual to carry out mass violence without direct operational assistance from a terrorist organization.
Sayfullo Saipov’s convictions and sentences concluded the criminal proceedings against him, but the consequences of his actions continued for survivors and bereaved families. Memorials and anniversary observances have focused on the eight people killed rather than on the ideology of their murderer, preserving their names and emphasizing the individual lives lost during the 2017 Lower Manhattan truck attack.
