Uber driver, Uzbekistan native: A look at New York attack suspect

NEW YORK: The man accused of ploughing a rented truck through a crowd of cyclists and pedestrians near the site of the 9/11 attack has been identified as an Uzbek who lived in New Jersey and drove for Uber.

Saipov came to the US from Uzbekistan in 2010 and had a green card that allowed permanent legal residence. He had apparently lived in Paterson, New Jersey, and Tampa, Florida, the New York Times reported.

Saipov rented a truck from a home depot in Passaic, New Jersey, before driving it into Manhattan, officials said. After the attack, investigators found a handwritten note from the rental truck in which Saipov had declared his allegiance to the Islamic State.

The attack unfolded as nearby schools were letting out on a Halloween afternoon. It ended five blocks north of the World Trade Centre.

The driver left a roughly mile-long crime scene: A tree-lined bike path strewn with bodies, mangled bicycles and bicycle parts, from wheels twisted like pretzels to a dislodged seat.

Saipov, a slim, bearded man, was seen in videos running through traffic after the attack with a paintball gun in one hand and a pellet gun in the other.Witnesses described hearing Saipov shouting "Allahu Akbar" or "God is great" in Arabic -- as he carried out the attack. Dilfuza Iskhakova, who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, told investigators that Saipov had stayed with her for several months about six years ago after arriving from Uzbekistan, the Times reported.