Taxi Driver License Suspended After Accident

A yellow cab driver was suspended from driving after hitting two women on a city sidewalk, according to officials. One of the passengers remarked that it felt like he had come from hell just hours before the incident.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission revoked 25-year-old Mahamuda Akhter’s license as investigations into the dramatic scene recorded on video Saturday continue.

Shocking video shows a taxi crashing into a pedestrian, sending both victims to the hospital and breaching a Lower East Side warehouse around 2:45 p.m.

“I was applying lipstick on the sidewalk when suddenly a taxi appeared out of nowhere,” 24-year-old graphic designer Millicent Faber told The Sunday Post.

Faber reported sustaining broken legs from the collision, while her friend, aged 25, was thrown down the basement stairs and suffered a broken hip and concussion.

“I never expected this to happen, but I’m just glad to be alive,” she expressed.

The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation, and no charges have been filed yet.

A passenger who rode in the same cab earlier that day reported the driver was erratic during their trip from Battery Park to the East Village, describing it as a chaotic 30-minute ride.

“I’ve never felt so unsafe in a taxi. It was just insane,” said Tom, 29, from Manhattan, who preferred to remain anonymous.

He provided a photo of the taxi’s medallion and license plate, which matched the one involved in the later accident. He also recognized the driver from the video taken after the crash.

Akhter had received his TLC license in October and had no previous violations, according to a commission spokesperson. DMV officials also confirmed there were no infractions associated with him.

“We are very serious about safety for everyone involved,” stated TLC spokesman Jason Kirsten. “We’re relieved that all involved in Saturday’s incident escaped with minor injuries, and we wish them a full recovery.” He added that the driver was suspended following coordination with the NYPD, and investigations are ongoing.

Tom shared that the driver began acting recklessly around 9 a.m. on Saturday, noting a wrong turn into the Hugh Carey Tunnel.

“I noticed she was heading into a tunnel towards Brooklyn and thought, ‘Wait, that’s not right,’” he recalled. “She almost stopped at the entrance, and I was like, we can’t stop here; it’s a one-way street.”

While in the tunnel, he claimed the driver looked at her phone, brushed against a traffic cone, and abruptly crossed three lanes at the exit.

As they reached the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Tom requested to exit early to find another ride, but the driver, still distracted by her phone, continued towards the Manhattan Bridge, nearly colliding with a barrier, he said.

When they arrived, Tom refused to pay the $30 fare, remarking, “You almost killed us,” but the driver locked the doors, preventing him from exiting. They eventually agreed on a $20 fare, and Tom later reported the reckless driving, calling 911 and then 311 after hearing about the accident.

A spokesperson from TLC mentioned they are investigating the report made to 311. Tom indicated he spoke with TLC staff about the matter on Tuesday.