Victims struck by car in Times Square in 2017 take stand for day 2 of suspect Richard Rojas' trial
NEW YORK -- The trial of Richard Rojas, the man accused of plowing into pedestrians in Times Square in 2017, entered its second day Tuesday.
A teenager was killed and more than 20 people were injured in the attack.
Video from different angles shows the car driven by Rojas barreling through pedestrians in crowded Times Square back on May 18, 2017.
Photos of the injured taken at Bellevue Hospital were shown in court Tuesday.
Ava Elsman, then 13, was severely hurt. Her sister, 18-year-old Alyssa Elsman, was killed.
Ava, now 18, detailed her struggle to recover physically and mentally. She suffered broken ribs, a broken leg and a collapsed lung.
Tuesday, her mother broke down on the stand. The family from Michigan had been in the city on an annual trip.
Michael Lilinshtein also plans to take the stand.
"I remember kind of flipping over a car and hurting my back," he told CBS2's Alice Gainer.
He was walking back to his office after grabbing lunch when he was struck by the car.
"One individual was right next to me to my right. He was bleeding all over," Lilinshtein said. "I got hit kind of dead on, but I came away with almost no injuries. No permanent injuries. A little back pain and some stitches on elbow ... It took some time to kind of get over this fear of just getting hit by a car."
Rojas was 26 years old at the time. Video shows his apprehension after he crashed his car and ran out.
Prosecutors say he told a traffic agent that day, "I wanted to kill them all." At the time, authorities said he told police he had been smoking marijuana laced with PCP.
READ MORE: 'I Wanted To Kill Them': Authorities Detail Case Against Times Square Crash Suspect Richard Rojas
The defense argues the now-31-year-old has a history of mental illness and that "this is a case about a 26-year-old who lost his mind."
Rojas has pleaded not guilty to murder, assault and other charges. Other victims who were seriously injured are also expected to take the stand.
Rojas had several other prior criminal cases. Just days before the Times Square incident, he pleaded guilty to a harassment charge after pulling a knife on a notary in his home and accusing them of trying to steal his identity.
