On Tuesday, a British woman who was visiting New York City on her “dream vacation” was struck by a cabdriver. She lost her foot as a result of the pedestrian-car accident.
The 23-year-old woman and her friend were sitting on the ledge of a fountain in the neighborhood of 50th Street and Sixth Avenue around 11:20 a.m. when the cabdriver, who had been arguing with a cyclist, lost control of his vehicle, went onto the sidewalk and hit her.
One witness said that as a result of being struck by the cab, the woman’s left leg was “severed off” and the other was “mangled.” A plumber who happened to be nearby used his tool belt as a tourniquet, and medical commentators have noted that may have saved the woman’s life by limiting blood loss.
The woman was taken to Bellevue Hospital. Doctors there attempted to re-attach her foot, but were not able to do so. Several hours after the accident, the woman’s family said their loved one was doing well under the circumstances. They also thanked people for rushing to help her.
At least two other people were hurt in the car accident, but their injuries are believed to have been far less serious.
The 24-year-old man who was driving that taxi that was involved in the accident said he lost control of his vehicle because a cyclist had been pounding on the roof his car. However, the cyclist claims that the cab struck him and then spun out of control.
Source: New York Daily News, “Runaway cab severs young British tourist’s foot as Dr. Oz rushes to help; driver says ‘it was an accident,” Pete Donohue, Kerry Burke, Tina Moore, Corky Siemaszko, Aug. 21, 2013
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