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Yesterday morning, a taxi that rear ended a station wagon and then tried to escape the scene ended up hitting a pedestrian and causing more crashes that left cars in mangled shape. At 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, a station wagon had slowed down to let a pedestrian walk across. A taxi, driven by 54 year old Syad Zia, had been speeding and hit the station wagon, causing the wagon to hit the pedestrian, a 67 year old man. Then Zia swerved to leave the scene of the crime, hitting the same pedestrian (!!) and then, per Newsday, "sideswiped a minibus and Chevy Impala and crashed into another taxi cab," and then second cab then crashed into four other taxi cabs "like a row of dominos." One bystander said, "It was a chain reaction. It was just crunch, crunch, crunch." The pedestrian, Rubin Albayez, was pinned under the station wagon, and ten others were injured, including Zia's passengers: an 8-and-1/2 months pregnant woman and her husband, who had just visited the obstetrician. The woman delivered a healthy baby but she suffered "ruptured esophagus, a broken bone in her neck and a broken wrist."
Also, the impact of the second crash caused parts from Zia's cab to fly more than 10 feet. Some witnesses said the cab had been barreling down at "100 mph." The Taxi and Limousine Commission said that Zia had 3-4 moving violations (reports vary), which is normal for a taxi driver. The police are also investigating the possibility that Zia accidentally hit the gas when he meant to brake. That may be, but he still tried to leave the scene after rearending the station wagon.
Photograph from the AP
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This guy should be charged with attempted murder.
If they don't throw the book at him, there is something very wrong.
Also, I'd like to see a blood test for drugs.
There is this terrible road rage in the city. You can hear it all the time with the honking that it occurs and then you see it w/ many cars running red lights. Car drivers have forgotten that their vehicles can hurt if not kill someone. I'm writing a note to NYC Dept. of Transportation (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/home.html).
If enough of us write about our concerns, they will consider making changes or having our cops focus more on road rage.
After seeing that picture in th paper this morning, I'm amazed no one was outright killed.
I don't like the Term "Road Rage". I know it refers to people losing their temper while driving, but, IMO, too many lawyers use it as a "Psychological" disorder and thus a legal defense (Losing your temper is a defense?). Also, from what I've read in the Metro, the cabbie may have simply tried to get away as opposed to "Road Rage".
Normal? Minor traffic infractions??I hope that lady pulls thru ok.
I think everyone has a story or two about almost getting swiped while walking on a crosswalk, because some impatient driver couldn't understand why the person in front of him was stopping at a crosswalk--It's been a green light for 1.2 seconds! Go! go!--and zoomed around him almost hitting some old guy that the car had stopped for. It seems like half the time I get in a cab I have to tell the cabbie that "I'm not in hurry." Otherwise, I spend the ride getting ill and wondering if the last words I read are going to be the polite words of the Taxi Commission, "We hope you enjoy your ride." I actually had a driver tell me once that if he doesn't go at least 40 m.p.h he won't make as much money. Great, it's like the movie Speed, but every cabbie is the bus that can't slow below a certain speed.
Here's an interesting first person account about the process an applicant must go through to qualify for a NYC taxi driver's license.
http://www.taxisafety.com/OLDSITE/ti1002.html
in the midst of nyc traffic, pedestrians are not people, they're obstacles.
possible moral of the story: always wear your seatbelt in a cab!
One of my high school teachers told me he drove a cab for awhile, but decided to stop when he realized he was driving more and more aggresively.
one of my favorite things to do with cab drivers is to ask them what they think of israel. boy is it a hoot to hear them go off! i wonder what Syad Zia here would have to say!
I wonder about how much was his fault though. Obviously, backing up after hitting a car is bad, but sideswiping a car at such a rate that you spin around sounds a bit odd. It would be interesting to see if there was a mechanical problem [perhaps when he hit the station wagon, he started leaking brake fluid or something].
DEATH TO TAXI DRIVERS
ummm, you ever been in a taxi in any third world nation?
I think cars should be banned from Manhattan. And we bring back the trolleys. And all sorts of bicycles. We can have a wonderful pedestrian-oriented city.
Heck with those cars and taxis that pollute and get into all sorts of accidents.
That guy is nuts - but don't label all cab driver as such. Its just not true. Having 3 or 4 moving violations doesn't surprise me, who else drives on average 50+ hours a week in a city where passengers are constantly pushing because they are late.
And police who know the taxi drivers probably can't afford to not work a day to fight the violations, and a disproportional number of tickets go to taxis; not because they are more reckless, but because the city wants a piece of the $2 billion a year industry.
None of you know the story first hand so what are you talking about?
He picks up a pregnant woman and wants to kill her and her husband? Come on, are you people kidding?
Ever play operator in school? Your like big children that forgot the point of the game.
It's still "Innocent until proven guilty," right. What if your accelerator got stuck while driving. If you try to reverse, the car will shift gears while the gas is down, but it just won't let up when you shift to Drive again. Thats what console automatics do.
Don't be so quick to accuse. You'd want the same consideration if you were that cab driver.
Maybe you'd be pleading with the judge say something like "I swear your honor, you must believe me, I hadn't any intention or motive to wreck my own car (which realistically is his livelihood) or hurt a dozen people including a pregnant women!"
Doesn't that sound ridiculous people???!!!
vin, there is a difference between intending to wreck a car and hurt people, and being reckless. Yes, few people intend to hurt someone or wreck their car when driving but too many are reckless. And your standard of innocent until proven guilty is appropriate for court, but it's not appropriate for daily life and normal judgements.