A motorist struck several pedestrians taking part in a protest in Manhattan, New York on Friday, police and media reports said. NBC News reported that the incident occurred around 4:00 pm (2100 GMT) in the Murray Hill area and that the driver was in custody. It was not immediately clear how many people were hit by the vehicle or the extent of their injuries. It was also not clear whether it was intentional or a traffic accident. "Please avoid the area of 3rd Avenue & 39 Avenue in Manhattan due to a vehicle collision involving multiple pedestrians. Information at this time is preliminary, updates to follow," the New York Police Department tweeted. pdh/ec