A man stole a yellow cab in Kips Bay on Thursday night, taking it on a joyride and colliding with a cyclist in a hit-and-run before abandoning the vehicle, authorities said.
According to police sources, a taxi driver left his vehicle running while unattended on 33rd Street and 1st Avenue at around 9:15 p.m. on Aug. 21 when a man entered the vehicle and drove away. Minutes later, on 33rd Street and 2nd Avenue, the commandeered cab collided with a 27-year-old cyclist before zooming away.
The bike rider, who was on the way to make a food delivery, was knocked to the ground, causing minor injuries. EMS and officers from the 17th precinct responded, but the victim refused medical attention.
Local Beth Friedman told amNewYork that she was eating at a nearby restaurant when she saw the taxi speed by.
“Like it flew, it was nuts. We just heard kind of a bang noise,” Friedman recalled. “The one gentleman was on a bike, I think he was probably a delivery driver. He seemed okay. He was walking.”
Friedman added that she has lived in the area for years but had not seen a car travel at that rate of speed.
“I’m in this area a lot but I’ve never seen a car, let alone a taxi going that fast by me, it was crazy,” she added.
Police say they later recovered the vehicle abandoned on 35th Street and Park Avenue. Cops searched the vehicle but only recovered paperwork, sources stated. Emergency Service Units used canines in hopes of tracking the suspect but lost him his scent at a nearby bus stop where law enforcement surmised he may have boarded a bus.
No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
