'It's pretty sad': Good Samaritan speaks out after 78-year-old woman dragged from Access-A-Ride car
MARINE PARK, Brooklyn (WABC) -- The good Samaritan who rushed to the aid of a 78-year-old woman who was dragged from an Access-A-Ride vehicle in Brooklyn is speaking out about what he witnessed, calling it sad for the world.
The video posted online appears to show the driver pulling the woman from his car by her legs and leaving her on the asphalt in Marine Park.
Police say the woman got into a dispute with the driver after he missed the drop-off point for her physical therapy appointment.
She asked if he could go around the block and drop her directly out front, and that's when he decided to get out of the car and physically remove her.
The passerby, Ezra Halawani, stepped in to confront the driver, who pulled away and struck him with the car, causing bruising to his arm.
"She was pulled out by force," he said. "She could've walked out by herself. She could've gotten up on her own. He dragged her out of the car and was about to leave her on the floor. It's pretty sad that the world has people like that in it."
The driver had the woman's phone in his hand, and Halawani got it back before the driver left.
"He was trying to get away with her phone, and not because he wanted to steal her phone, but because he didn't want her to be able to call somebody for help," he said. "Her shoes ended up on two different sides. She needed help, not only getting up, but getting her shoes back on."
Medics took both the woman and Halawani to the hospital. The woman is now resting at home, and while her family is requesting privacy, they say she is rattled and thankful that Halawani stepped in to help.
The search continues for the driver, though authorities say they know his identity.
"The cowardly attack on an Access-A-Ride customer is appalling and completely counter to every value of the program," MTA Spokesperson Michael Cortez said. "We will work with the NYPD and the TLC to ensure that appropriate justice is served."
The NYS Federation of Taxi Drivers also put out a statement saying it also doesn't condone this type of behavior and says it supports the TLC's immediate suspension of the driver.
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