A cab driver crashed into a building during rush hour this morning, injuring at least two people and shattering ground floor windows at 577 First Avenue.
According to the FDNY, there were two motorists involved in the crash, though photos from the scene show just the wrecked taxi. The crash happened at 8:51 a.m., and one of the injured people refused medical attention. The second injured person was transported to Bellevue Hospital with serious injuries, the FDNY said. The NYPD didn't have any record of or information on the crash, because its Collision Investigation Squad wasn't dispatched to the scene.
Chris Collins, who works at the nearby NYU Langone Medical Center, told DNAinfo that the driver hit a cyclist who was riding in the bike lane, and then swerved into traffic and hit a woman who was walking in the crosswalk on First Avenue. He then reportedly swerved again, jumping the curb and crashing into the building at First Avenue and East 33rd Street. It appears that the woman was more seriously injured, as another witness said that the cyclist appeared to be in good condition.
"It was just me and this lady in the crosswalk," Collins told CBS. "Came by, hit this lady in the right leg, flipped her up in the air. I was kind of stuck in the middle of the street trying to figure out which way he was gonna go. I moved to the left and the car went right by me, brushed my clothes as he went by, and boom, right into the wall."
It's unclear what caused the driver to lose control. The TLC didn't immediately respond to request for comment, but we'll update as more information becomes available.
