Terrifying moment giant tanker speeds into a crowd of thousands of George Floyd protesters marching on a Minneapolis highway before vigilantes pull driver from the rig
- Video showed the semi-truck speeding toward protesters on Interstate 35 at about 6pm Sunday
- Protesters taking up all lanes of traffic scattered to get out of the rig's path
- It did not appear that anyone was hit before the truck came to a stop in the road
- Protesters were seen pulling the driver out of the rig and beating him in the road before police arrived
- The driver, 35-year-old Bogdan Vechirko, was arrested and hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries
A semi-truck barreled into a crowd of thousands of George Floyd protesters marching on a closed interstate near downtown Minneapolis on Sunday night.
Video showed the massive rig speeding down the I-35W bridge at about 6pm local time as protesters taking up all lanes of traffic fled out of its path.
Authorities said the truck did not appear to have struck anyone before it came to a stop in the middle of the road.
Protesters were seen climbing on the rig and pulling the driver, identified as 35-year-old Bogdan Vechirko, out of the cabin and beating him in the road.
Photos showed Vechirko with blood on his face and shirtless torso as protesters handed him over to police officers working to contain the situation.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS) said the driver was placed under arrest before being taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
He was then booked into Hennepin County jail on a probable assault charge. He was seen with bruises and cuts on his face in his mugshot.
Authorities said the driver's motives were unclear but his actions appeared to be deliberate.
Protesters are seen handing a man believed to be the driver over to police before he was placed under arrest
Interstate 35 was closed on Sunday as hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered to march south across all 10 lanes of traffic.
It's unclear how the semi-truck, which appeared to be an oil tanker, managed to gain access to the roadway.
The truck was traveling northbound when it came upon the demonstration and maintained a high speed as protesters screamed and scattered.
A witness said the truck was blaring its horn and showed no sign of stopping as it neared the crowd.
'You heard a horn,' the unnamed witness told KARE 11. 'It was barreling into that crowd and they were separating, just parting, thankfully.'
After the truck came to a stop, several protesters approached and pulled the male driver out of the front seat.
MDPS said the driver was injured but did not offer any specifics about the confrontation with protesters.
Minnesota Gov Tim Walz said of the incident: 'Law enforcement responded immediately. Had to clear the bridge. Incident underscores the volatile situation we have, don't know motives of the driver at this time. At this point in time to not have tragedy and many deaths is an amazing thing.'
Authorities identified Vechirko as the driver later in the night and released a pair of mugshots taken at the Hennepin County jail, where he is being held on a probable assault charge.
Vechirko lives in Otsego, Minnesota, and works as an independent contractor for Ken Advantage, a trucking company based in North Canton, Ohio, according to WCCO.
Ken Advantage issued a statement saying it will fully cooperate with the investigation into the interstate incident.
'Our hearts go out to all those who are grieving the events of this past week,' the company said.
A man is seen looking inside the cabin of the truck that 'deliberately' sped into the line of protesters
The interstate incident came on the sixth day of nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed when Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during an arrest on May 25.
The interstate incident came on the sixth day of nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd (pictured), a black man who was killed when Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during an arrest on May 25
Viral video showed Chauvin and three other officers pinning Floyd, who was handcuffed, to the ground as they arrested him for allegedly attempting to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill.
Floyd was heard pleading: 'I can't breathe' while Chauvin continued pressing his knee into the man's neck for eight minutes.
The 46-year-old did not have a pulse when he was placed in an ambulance, and was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The footage prompted fevered outrage as thousands demanded that Chauvin and the other officers be charged with murder.
Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on Friday.
But protests persisted into the weekend as activists railed against police brutality and racial injustice.
Demonstrations in 25 major cities led to numerous clashes between protesters and police seeking to keep things from spiraling out of control - often using rubber bullets and tear gas.
More than 1,300 people have been arrested during protests in cities across the country as several governors mobilized the National Guard for assistance.
A viral video captured the moment Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck while the handcuffed suspect repeatedly cried out that he couldn't breathe
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