An Access-A-Ride driver allegedly threw a 78-year-old woman out of his vehicle and into the middle of a Brooklyn street when an argument erupted after she accused him of passing her stop on Wednesday, according to authorities and video of the confrontation.
It wasn't exactly clear where the woman, Catherine Shine, wanted to go, but the livery driver apparently missed the destination and a war of words erupted. She insisted he go back and he allegedly refused, according to police. The argument escalated.
A bystander, 35-year-old Ezra Halawani, started to record the chaos on his phone as it unfolded near Avenue N and 35th Street in Marine Park around 3:30 p.m. He is heard in the video saying, "What's going on?" as a woman's voice screams, "Call the police! He got my phone!"
It's not known what happened before Halawani started filming, but the video shows Shine being pulled out of the car by the driver, as she hits him with her cane.
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Yelling and door-slamming continue for some time. Eventually, the cab driver slams his door and speeds off, leaving Shine stunned on the pavement. She was taken to the hospital for treatment and later released. Shine declined to speak to News 4 Thursday, saying she was still traumatized by what happened.
Her daughter, Tara Shine says her mom is recovering from minor back injuries. She called Halawani is "a saint" for trying to step in and help her mother in the moment.
"Amazing woman. She really was very brave and strong to go through something so traumatic," said Halawani, who tried to de-escalate the scene and get the driver to stick around.
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But the driver left anyway, nearly running Halawani with his car as he continued to record the video.
"I was just trying to stop him from leaving. Obviously in hindsight it wasn’t a good idea, getting next to a car that’s moving," Halawani told NBC New York, who was hurt in the exchange, his arm in a sling on Thursday. "I had a swollen shoulder, have a hard time lifting now...I feel like anybody would’ve done the same thing — minus the jumping in front of the car, probably not the brightest idea."
The livery cab had a TLC plate, and a spokesperson says the agency is aware of the incident and cooperating with the NYPD. The head of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, though, says the union would support the cabbie's immediate suspension and license removal, and identified the driver. The man's driving privileges should also be revoked, NYSFTD President Fernando Mateo said Thursday.
Mateo called the actions of the driver as seen in the video "criminal in nature" and said the district attorney should prosecute if the investigation merits charges. None have been filed at this point.
"The video is brutal and shows no compassion or respect for the elderly," Mateo said. "There is nothing that can justify throwing an elderly woman out of a car and into the street. The NYSFTD will never support or condone this type of behavior and will seek punishment for any driver that engages in physical attacks unless it is self-defense and the driver's life is in danger."
The MTA and the victim's daughter both confirmed that the trip was taken via the Access-A-Ride program, with the MTA saying that the ride was booked through one of their contractors, CTG. A spokesperson for the agency said that they were "appalled by this heinous incident" and that they are working with police, TLC and CTG for the investigation.
"The driver has been identified and was immediately removed from service by our broker CTG and all other service providers. We are in contact with the customer’s family and, when possible, will work with them to gain information that will help with the ongoing investigation," said MTA Spokesperson Mike Cortez. "The MTA works with several for-hire vehicle companies as part of our broker program to provide our Access-A-Ride customers with safe, reliable service. Our customers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and we will take all action necessary to ensure the transportation partners we entrust our customers with adhere to this."
Tara Shine said that it was the first time her mother used the Access-A-Ride service to get to physical therapy, and that she is now scared to say anything about the incident.
"We hope that the person that did this to my mother is brought to justice," she told NBC New York. "My mother is a trooper, thank God for my mother, she does it all. She’s an amazing woman."
There wasn't an immediate response from the driver or another person indicating an alternative narrative. The TLC plate, according to the agency's database, is registered to a company called BIFA Enterprise. Phone calls weren't immediately returned. The platform says the driver had a history with Uber, but Uber says the driver has been off its platform for some time.
The investigation is ongoing.
