NYC taxi driver was having a medical episode when he jumped the curb and hit people, police say

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A taxi driver whose car hit six pedestrians when he jumped a curb in a Manhattan shopping district on Christmas Day was having a medical episode at the time, New York City police said Thursday.

Two of those hurt are Australians, according to that country’s foreign ministry.

An NYPD spokesperson would not elaborate on the type of type of medical episode the driver experienced but said no criminality is suspected at this stage. The 58-year-old was taken to a hospital in stable condition for further evaluation.

Also hospitalized after the yellow taxi drove onto the sidewalk across the street from Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square were a 9-year-old boy with a laceration to his right thigh, a 49-year-old woman with a leg injury and a 41-year-old woman. All were in stable condition, police said.

Three other pedestrians, women aged 19, 37 and 49, declined medical treatment.

A statement from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs did not give more details about its citizens who were hurt but said they were receiving consular assistance.

Herald Square is a major shopping destination for tourists and locals, with the Macy’s store taking up an entire city block between 34th and 35th streets. It is among the city’s many retailers that feature elaborate Christmas window displays.

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Associated Press writer Charlotte Graham-McLay in Wellington, New Zealand, contributed.