Survivors, families of victims testify during penalty phase of Sayfullo Saipov trial

NEW YORK -- It is now week two in the penalty phase trial of Sayfullo Saipov.

A jury will decide whether the Uzbekistan native gets the death penalty or life in prison for mowing bicyclists down on the West Side Highway bike path in 2017.

Survivors and families of victims of the Halloween attack have been giving testimony about the impact it's had on their lives.

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Saipov weaponized a 6,000-pound rental truck, speeding onto the West Side bike path. Eight people were killed and a dozen others were injured.

Pictures of the victims' bloodied bodies on the bike path were shown in court.

Among the victims were 10 friends on a trip together from Argentina. They were riding in pairs so they could continue talking. Five were killed.

Survivor Guillermo Banchini was pedaling next to Ariel Erlij, talking about technology and their children's education when all of a sudden he saw things flying over his head.

Once an avid biker here in New York City, where he sometimes worked, he says he hasn't gotten back on a bicycle since.

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After killing eight and injuring others on the bike path, Saipov crashed into a yellow school bus.

The sister of a student on board the bus testified her "developmentally delayed" sister suffered a traumatic brain injury, collapsed lung and lacerated liver among other physical injuries. She also suffered immediate cognitive setbacks, unable to recognize family members, speak or sit.

The sister testified, "She'll never be the person she could have been."

A correction officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center told the jury in April 2021, Saipov "became irate" when she told him to take paper off the lighting fixtures that were darkening his cell and told her, "You don't want to make me mad. I'll cover the cameras," in reference to the camera monitoring him.

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The prosecution is arguing for a sentence of death, saying he poses a threat even behind bars.

Once the prosecution rests, the defense will present its case to argue for life in prison. 

Members of Saipov's family were in the courtroom Tuesday.

To make room for them, and to keep them separate from the survivors and families of victims,  the press was asked to move to an overflow room.