A taxi driver reportedly slammed into several people in Herald Square Wednesday afternoon, December 25, outside Macy’s on 34th Street and 6th Avenue shortly after 4 pm. The northbound-traveling driver, who suffered a possible medical episode, jumped a curb, police said.
The Christmas chaos resulted in six people getting injured, including a nine-year-old boy and his mother. Two of the victims were taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center, and the child was rushed to Bellevue Hospital.
‘This is scary’
A tourist visiting from Oregon told ABC 7 that the boy’s mom was knocked under the cab, and the wheel, which was still spinning, was on top of the child’s leg. “One gentleman went over [to] shut the car off, got into it and shut it off. There was a whole group of us that ripped the fender off, lifted the car back,” the witness said, adding that his wife was wounded too. “Then that’s when I grabbed the little boy, got him to the corner [and] realized what ended up being his mom underneath.”
All the victims sustained non-life threatening injuries. Three other people were reportedly treated at the scene. Police are still investigating the scene of the crash. However, it appeared to be an accident, New York Post reported.
{{/usCountry}}All the victims sustained non-life threatening injuries. Three other people were reportedly treated at the scene. Police are still investigating the scene of the crash. However, it appeared to be an accident, New York Post reported.
{{/usCountry}}Sam Mohammed, 35, a hot dog stand worker saw the taxi slam onto the sidewalk near him while he was serving customers. “I was parked in front of this car and I saw the car going onto the sidewalk and hitting people,” he said. “This is scary.”
Law enforcement agencies around the world have been on alert this holiday season after an anti-Islam activist in Germany drove his car into a Christmas market last week. Five people died in the tragedy, and 200 were injured. The state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, said it was "a lone attack."