ELIZABETH, New Jersey (WABC) -- A New Jersey man who killed a taxi driver following an argument was sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday.
Emmanuel John, 33, was convicted in the death of Imran Masood in a strip mall parking lot in Elizabeth back in 2017.
After an argument over a dinged car door, John struck the 45-year-old Masood numerous times through his livery cab's open driver's side car door window, attempting to pull him out of the vehicle and striking him with the door.
Masood then got out of his vehicle to take a photo of John's rear license plate with his cell phone camera, at which time John threw his BMW in reverse, striking Masood and throwing him to the ground.
John then fled the scene without checking on Masood or calling for medical assistance, two points he admitted when he took the stand during he trial.
John also had his 16-month-old son with him at the time.
Masood died about a month after the incident. Masood's 21-year-old son Ali spoke in court about his loss.
"The pain of losing someone's father, it's unbearable," he said. "It's something that you can't describe in words. It's a feeling as if something's been completely taken from you."
His eldest daughter, 18, also read a statement while Imran's widow looked on during the sentencing hearing. Both children said that while the family forgave John for taking away their father, they still sought justice.
They described a loving, dedicated, and hardworking father of four who paid for his own parents to emigrate from Pakistan to the United States and also would work 12- and 13-hour shifts to support his family despite having to undergo dialysis treatments multiple times a week.
"His happiness came from seeing me flourish and become the man I am today," Ali Imran said.
John was convicted of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
----------