NEW YORK — Six people were injured, including a child, when an out-of-control taxi plowed into pedestrians in New York City’s Herald Square on Christmas Day.
It happened around 4 p.m. at 34th Street and Sixth Avenue, a busy spot near Macy’s.
Three people, including a 9-year-old boy, were hospitalized. The boy suffered an injury to his thigh. A 41-year-old woman suffered a head injury and a 49-year-old woman suffered a leg injury. Three other women, aged 49, 37 and 19, refused medical attention.
Police said the 58-year-old driver suffered a medical episode and was being evaluated at a hospital, adding that no arrests have been made.
“My prayers go out to the victims,” said Charlton D’Silva of Passengers United. “Hopefully the taxi driver will too.”
CBS News New York
Police said the taxi was traveling north on Sixth Avenue when it hit the curb. Video from the scene shows the cab on the sidewalk, its front crumpled, surrounded by police.
The witness describes a shocking incident
Witness Ryan Tucker described the shocking moments the taxi hit his wife.
“We were going up north, right on the sidewalk, we didn’t really hear much. That’s when my wife got hit, a little bit in the back shoulder. It spun her around, didn’t knock her to the ground.” , Tucker said.
He said he checked on his wife to make sure she was OK and then saw the child trapped under the taxi.
“He got stuck under the tire, and when we moved the car back, he realized what ended up being his mom was under the car. She was consistent and talking to him, and she was keeping him calm,” Tucker said .
Tucker said he and other pedestrians swung the car to free the boy and his mother, who were tourists from Australia. He said the injured boy told him it was the worst holiday ever.