But when and why the man was killed remained unclear.
Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, says the crash occurred around 5 a.m. Saturday on Mt. Prospect Avenue in the city's North Ward.
Police said they were initially called because a cab had hit several parked cars.
They discovered the driver, 49-year old Rochenel Guerrier, dead at the scene - shot at least four times.
The father of three from Irvington was driving his cab in the city's Fourth Ward.
Now his family is struggling to come to grips with his death.
"You took somebody from their kids and their wife," said the victim's daughter, Kerrine Guerrier. "A person with no conscience would do something like that."
Police say they are in the early stages of their investigation as they try and determine who shot Guerrier and why.
His family says he'd worked for the Family Service cab company for about six months, despite their concerns about his safety.
"My mom did warn him that she didn't want him doing that because so much crime was reported in Newark, but he said he would be fine," said Kerrine Guerrier. "He just took a risk and it cost him his life."
Investigators say they are still trying to pinpoint the exact time of Guerrier's death.
They're also hoping security cameras in the area might provide some clues.
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