SEVEN people were injured in New York City on Christmas Day after a yellow taxi jumped a sidewalk and smashed into pedestrians.
The incident occurred on Avenue of Americas and West 34th Street in the middle of Herald Square just after 4pm on Wednesday. Multiple people were struck by a vehicle near Herald Square in Midtown Manhattan.
The taxi driver was said to have suffered a possible medical episode before he plowed into pedestrians outside a Macy’s department store. The store, with its elaborately decorated display windows, is a magnet for tourists and native New Yorkers around the holidays.
A nine-year-old boy was among the seven injured, according to police and sources. Two women aged 49 and four other women aged 19, 37, and 41, were also injured in the chaos.
One 49-year-old woman with a leg injury, the nine-year-old boy who suffered a cut and the 41-year-old woman who sustained an injury to her head were taken to hospital. The remaining three pedestrians declined medical attention, according to police.
Photos obtained by the outlet showed the taxi with several dents on the side of the vehicle and its front bumper completely ripped out. The NYPD said all six victims were in stable condition, though no information on the taxi driver’s condition was given.
The driver has also not been identified and police have not yet made any arrests or charged anyone. Cops are still probing the scene of the crash, but it appeared to be an accident. Footage shared online showed a large fire department presence at the scene.
Herald Square is a vibrant shopping district in the heart of Midtown. The location is home to Macy’s flagship department store, where thousands of tourists flock to see the shop’s Christmas decorations.