Times Square car attack: 2 Mayport sailors recall helping victims hurt in the aftermath

Two local sailors are being called heroes for jumping into action when a driver plowed into a crowd in Times Square.

Mayport-based sailors David Barba and Andrew Miller were nearby when a speeding car killed one person and injured 22.

“Bodies flying everywhere, 10 feet high getting dragged up to 20 yards away,” Barba recalled.

Police say Richard Rojas drove his car on the sidewalks of bustling Times Square.

It was a gut wrenching scene, one tough to recount, even for the toughest of men.

“It was the most horrifying thing I had ever witnessed,” Miller said.

Miller and Barba immediately ran toward the wounded. They found a young girl named Ava wounded. Just feet away, her 18-year-old sister had been killed.

“I was just telling her, 'Stay with me, don’t go, everything will be all right,'” Barba said.

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In a moment of calm, Barba held her hand until paramedics arrived.

Around them, there was panic and confusion. More than 20 had just been mowed down in one of America's busiest intersections.

Barba feels lucky to be alive, and he might never be able to understand why.

“There are cruel people in this world, and you can’t always help them,” Barba said.

Cox Media Group