Taxi Jumps Curb, Strikes Pedestrian On East 59th Street

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A taxi cab jumped an Upper East Side curb and hit a pedestrian Monday before slamming into a building, authorities said.

The incident happened at approximately 11:45 a.m. at East 59th Street near Madison Avenue.

The cab jumped the curb and hit a man on the sidewalk before smashing into the entrance of Page & Smith Opticians, where owner James Escobar was working in the back.

"We were working inside ... and we heard a big, huge boom," said Escobar, who became trapped inside the eyeglass shop briefly following the crash. "I couldn't even open the door.

"It was scary."

But Escobar said that all things considered, "we were lucky," WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported.

The pedestrian's injuries were not considered to be life-threatening, authorities said.

"He was just laying down, and there was a woman talking to him," said Andrew Rocco, whose family owns a shoe repair shop a few doors down from the scene. "He was mentioning that his leg was broken."

"A few people called the cops right away, and the guy who got hurt was on the sidewalk," Christina Arvanits, who saw the whole thing from inside the optical store, told CBS 2's Emily Smith. "They were asking him what he needs and everything."

The front bumper of the cab was partially torn off in the crash.

Rocco told 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa that some witnesses claimed the cabbie was avoiding a bicyclist on the street.

Police aren't releasing information about the driver or pedestrian, other than to say the cabbie somehow lost control of his vehicle. Witnesses said both walked to the ambulance. They are both expected to be OK.

There were no passengers in the cab.

No charges or tickets have been issued.

The investigation is ongoing.

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In:
• Madison Avenue
• 59th Street