Witnesses, first responders, FBI agents and more testify as trial of Sayfullo Saipov enters third week

Third week of Sayfullo Saipov West Side bike path terror trial begins

NEW YORK -- The third week of the trial of Sayfullo Saipov started on Monday. He is charged with driving onto the bike path on the West Side Highway and killing eight bicyclists on Halloween in 2017.

He has said he did it in the name of ISIS.

The prosecution rested its case on Monday.

READ MOREProsecutors say Sayfullo Saipov followed ISIS playbook in deadly 2017 West Side Highway terror attack

Video entered into evidence shows Saipov veer off the West Side Highway and onto the bike path, ramping up speed after a group of cyclists. Another angle shows him barreling down the path.

From one vantage point, a vehicle can be seen with what appears to be front-end damage narrowly miss two cyclists.

Eight others were killed when Saipov admittedly drove onto the path at Pier 40 and mowed them down, with no remorse.

Others were badly injured.

READ MORENew video evidence allegedly shows deadly West Side Highway bike path attack suspect Sayfullo Saipov running with guns

On Monday, we heard about a German tourist who was left unconscious after being struck. Her lung filled with blood and she also had a ruptured spleen and broken bones.

Saipov was only stopped after crashing into a school bus. An adult and two children on board suffered serious injuries to the brain, liver and lung.

The prosecution rested its case after calling survivors to the stand -- witnesses, first responders, FBI special agents, and crash and jihadist group experts.

READ MORESayfullo Saipov trial: Argentinian tourists say West Side truck attack sounded "as if a train was passing by"

Saipov told investigators he conducted the attack in order to become a member of ISIS. He offered to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, but was rejected, so he pleaded not guilty to the 28-count indictment against him.

The defense says he is guilty of murder, but argues he did not provide material support to the Islamic State, that he was just a supporter with no real connection to the terrorist organization.

READ MOREWest Side bike path terror trial: FBI agent says Sayfullo Saipov considered Times Square first

In court, portions of calls to his mother from jail were played in which he called himself a "soldier of the caliphate."

The defense filed a motion for acquittal. Saipov told the judge he does not plan to testify and the defense is not calling any witnesses.

Closing arguments are expected on Tuesday.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.