Hit-and-run causes cab to jump curb on Upper West Side, at least 6 injured
UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- A cab jumped a curb on the Upper West Side Monday after it was rear ended by a black Honda in a hit-and-run crash.
At least six people were injured.
It happened at around 5 p.m. on West 62nd Street.
In the middle of rush hour the hustle and bustle of the Upper West Side gave way to chaos and carnage.
"Words really can't describe it was horrifying," said Donny Flynn, an eyewitness.
In an exclusive interview, Flynn described the shocking scene after a cab jumped the curb and slammed into a food truck, which went airborne.
"When it hit the people, it pinned one lady down by her arm," Flynn said. "Pretty much severed her arm. A couple of guys, like five or six guys came to help me, we lifted up the food vending machine got the lady from under it."
In all, half a dozen were hurt in a chain reaction that started as cab driver Michael Pervez was dropping off a fare. When, from behind, what cops describe as a black Honda, came speeding up Broadway and rear ended the cab.
"He hit me like that, pow, pow, pow, three times," Pervez said.
"And that's when the cab driver got his foot off the break, jumped the curb," said Jose Rodriguez, an eyewitness.
"Big noise, big noise," said Raul Pacheco, an eyewitness.
The other victims were lucky their wounds were relatively minor.
Police field tested the cabbie for drugs and alcohol, but decided he'd done nothing wrong.
"This is the crazy thing, when the cab mounted the sidewalk," Flynn said, "Everybody actually went towards the cab driver, like they were blaming the cab driver."
"I go like dizzy, then somebody throw water in my face, then I wake up," Pervez said.
"But while everybody was taking advantage of the cab driver thinking he was the one who started this, the driver took off," Flynn said.
Police are still searching for the Honda which would have front-end damage. It has a Pennsylvania license plate #KCN0713.
If you have any information you are asked to call the police.
