A taxi driver, working to support a wife and 10 children, was shot and killed as he stopped to pick up a passenger in New Jersey, investigators said Wednesday.
The body of 57-year-old Imad Alasma, of Edison, was found in his taxi after police responded to a call on Bedford Street in Rahway shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday, prosecutors said. His taxi collided with a parked car after he was shot, causing injuries to a man and woman.
It wasn't clear if the man and woman were in the taxi or the parked car; both were taken to a hospital. Alasma, who was shot in the head, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators were unsure about the motive for the shooting, though Alasma' fellow cab drivers suspect it occurred during an attempted robbery. No arrest has been made.
Alasma's family was devastated by news of his violent death.
"He's the best person in the world," sobbed his wife, Ibtesam Alasmar.
Station Cab confirmed Alasma worked for the company. The company said the initial call for a cab came from a blocked number.
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"If you're a cab driver, you're never safe," said Mohamed Mouhamed, one of Alasma's co-workers. "You put your life on the line every day. You never know who's getting in the car."
