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Falling Crowbar Smashes Yellow Taxi Cab, Injuring 1: Officials

A crowbar plunged onto a yellow taxi cab on Manhattan's East Side Thursday morning, smashing the windshield and spraying glass inside the vehicle, officials say. 

Mohammed Raza was heading north on Third Avenue just before 9:30 a.m. when the crowbar fell onto his cab at 59th Street, denting the roof and shattering the windshield. 

Raza said it sounded like a big blast when the crowbar hit his cab.

"Suddenly this crowbar fell on my cab," Raza said. "I feel panic and traumatized at that time."

Raza, a father of two, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital, fire officials said. He has been released, but said doctors want to keep an eye on his head pain and dizziness. There was no passenger inside. 

"I feel something in my eyes, they're still watery," Raza said. "My head bumped with the roof."  

The Department of Buildings said the crowbar fell from a construction site at 200 East 59th St. A 35-story building is being built there, and city records show the site has 11 open violations. 

A spokesman for the developer, Macklowe Properties, says it's stopped all work on the project and won't reopen the site until its investigation is complete.

"Safety is our top priority and we are in contact with the Department of Buildings to swifty and fully address what took place here," the spokesman said. 

Residents say the construction site has become notorious in the neighborhood. 

"This place is blocked off at least once every couple of weeks. It's insane," said Ariana Medina. "Construction happens all the time, but particularly this building always has problems. And this is a busy intersection." 

"Do I need a hard hat to leave my building to come into work every day?" said Jennifer Block. "I think this is the third accident that we have heard about."

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