Eight people have been injured after they were struck by a driver in a U-Haul rental van, in the Bay Ridge neighbourhood of New York City.

Two people are in a critical condition, two in serious condition, and four have minor injuries.

New York Police Department said the suspect was evading a police stop before he hit bystanders and fled.

The incident happened around 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT). A male suspect was arrested in nearby Sunset Park.

He is reportedly a 62-year-old man with no fixed address, according to ABC News.

Police called the incident a "violent rampage" during a news conference. They do not believe it is terrorism-related.

Surveillance footage showed the U-Haul van swerving onto a wide pavement and speeding as it was chased by a police car, prompting at least one pedestrian to leap out of the way.

Police tried to stop the van by boxing it in, but the suspect rammed two police cars and escaped, CBS reported.

Eyewitnesses said the truck hit pedestrians and people on two-wheel vehicles.

One of those struck was a police officer, authorities said.

Josephine Lubarno, who works nearby, told the BBC that she was leaving a Chase bank branch when she noticed the U-Haul speeding down the street.

The van, she said, hit several cars in its way and struck a man who was putting on his helmet and getting ready to mount his bike.

"The man was flung onto the sidewalk," Ms Lubarno said, adding that bystanders began to scream and call for help. The man appeared to be badly injured, she said.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had been briefed on the incident and that her office was ready to provide support to the New York Police Department.(Courtesy, excluding headline, BBC)