Three people hospitalised after taxi jumps kerb in NYC

Three people were critically injured when a taxi cab veered off the road and jumped the curb in New York City’s Flatiron district on Monday afternoon, police said. Several others suffered less severe injuries.

Authorities from the NYPD and the fire department responded to reports of a collision that occurred around 1 p.m. at 29th Street and Broadway. Photos and video recordings show an SUV yellow cab up against the front of the building. Officials said it struck a bagel shop where some patrons were in the outdoor seating area on the sidewalk in front of the building.

Details about crash and exactly what caused it remain under investigation, but NYPD Deputy Chief John Chell confirmed that an initial collision occurred when the taxi struck a cyclist while making a left turn onto Broadway. The taxi then continued to veer toward the left side of the street, driving onto the sidewalk and hitting two women who became “pressed against the wall.”

“As this occurs, a remarkable scene took place. About 15 to 20 New Yorkers attempted to pick this cab off these women,” said Chell.

He said the crash appeared to be an accident, but the investigation is continuing.

Photos that surfaced on social media appeared to show FDNY and NYPD personnel moving people into ambulances after the vehicle rammed into the storefront and struck multiple victims.

Six people, including the cab driver, were transported to Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital. Three people sustained critical and potentially life-threatening injuries while three others are currently being treated for injuries not deemed life-threatening, according to the NYPD.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement Monday night, calling the crash a “terrible tragedy.”

“Those injured and in critical condition are in all of our prayers,” Adams said.