NYC pedestrian struck after person takes taxi for joyride, police say
NEW YORK (PIX11) – A person jumped into an unattended taxi and took it for a spin, hitting a pedestrian on Thursday evening, according to police.
The incident happened near East 33rd Street and Second Avenue at around 9:15 p.m., authorities said.
The cab driver left the car unattended. That's when an unknown person jumped into the taxi and drove one block. During the perp's one block ride, he struck a pedestrian, police said.
The pedestrian suffered minor injuries.
The person who stole the cab ditched the car and fled the scene. A full investigation remains ongoing, authorities said.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.