18-year-old tourist killed in Times Square crash

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - The tourist killed when a man drove into a crowd in New York City's Times Square was identified as a Michigan teenager on vacation.

Alyssa Elsman, 18, of Portage, Michigan, was visiting the city with her younger sister when tragedy hit.  They had just landed hours before and had been in the Times Square area for just a matter of minutes, according to her father.

Elsman and her 13-year-old sister both on the sidewalk when the speeding car crashed into them and at least 20 others. One of Elsman's last social media posts was a video from Times Square recorded about 10 minutes before the incident.

The 13-year-old underwent surgery on Friday for a shattered pelvis.  Her father says she knows about Alyssa's death.

Elsman graduated from Portage Central High School in 2016. The school had counselors available to students on Friday.

Four others suffered critical injuries when the speeding car drove the wrong direction along 7th Avenue. It jumped onto a sidewalk and drove for three blocks while plowing into pedestrians, authorities said. The car eventually crashed and caught fire.

Pedestrians chased and captured the driver as he tried to run away from the scene. The incident happened just before noon on a hot, clear day that had brought crowds of tourists and Manhattan workers into the area.