A teenager was killed and 22 others were wounded when an out-of-control car driven by a suspected drunk-driver ploughed into pedestrians in New York's Times Square.

The 18-year-old woman died after the vehicle went the wrong way up the pavement before hitting security bollards in the tourist hotspot.

Richard Rojas, 26, a US Navy veteran with a history of driving while intoxicated, was arrested and is being tested for alcohol, the New York Police Department (NYPD) said.

The dead woman's 13-year-old sister is among the wounded, the NYPD said.

Pictures from the scene on Thursday showed a badly-damaged red vehicle emitting smoke and resting on two wheels and bollards on the corner of 45 Street and Broadway in the heart of Manhattan.

More than 300,000 people, many of them tourists, pass through Times Square every day, according to its official website.

New York mayor Bill de Blasio said: "Based on the information we have at this moment, there is no indication that this was an act of terrorism.

"This is a tough day for New York City, but I want to thank our first responders who got here so quickly.

"We feel deeply for those injured and particularly for the family of the young woman who was lost. Our prayers are with all of them."

The New York Fire Department said that four people were in a critical condition, three were seriously hurt and 15 were "less serious".

The NYPD tweeted that its preliminary information was that a Honda Accord "mounted the sidewalk" shortly before noon, adding: "Richard Rojas, 26 y/o of the #Bronx (driver) drove at a high rate of speed. 22 injured (4 critical) and one person is deceased."

President Donald Trump "has been made aware of the situation in Times Square and will continue to receive updates", his spokesman Sean Spicer said.