4 injured by out of control taxi

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - June 25, 2009 (WPVI) -- A taxi cab jumped the curb of one of Philadelphia's busiest streets, crashing into pedestrians Wednesday night.

Police say the taxi careened onto the sidewalk while trying to avoid a car that was changing lanes.

Four people were injured. Two of the injured were taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital - the other two were transported to Hahnemann Hospital. All remain where they were rushed after the horrible accident.

Debris from Wednesday night's accident still litters the sidewalk outside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Police say it was around 10:00 p.m. when the taxi and Nissan Sentra were travelling south down Broad Street. It appears the Sentra in the left lane tried to move into the outer lane where the taxi was. Police believe that's what triggered a horrible chain of events that left four people injured.

Lt. McCarrick explained, "The taxi, in an attempt to avoid the car, went up onto the curb, incidentally made contact with a pedestrian on a bicycle, hit the pole, then sling shots around and then unfortunately hits a pedestrian out on the street who was crossing the street."

39-year-old Fang Ya was hit by a pole that fell at impact of accident. woman riding a bicycle on the sidewalk suffered head injuries when hit by the cab. She is currently listed in critical condition at Jefferson Hospital.

The pedestrian, identified as 58-year-old Alfred Haubert from Tulip Street in Philadelphia's Tacony section, suffered traumatic leg injuries. Family members say Haubert has had one leg amputated due to his injuries and may lose the other. He is also listed as critical at Jefferson.

The Victory Cab driver, 38-year-old Abiodun Adelakun, is hospitalized in Hahnemann Hospital and remains in serious condition. His female passenger was hospitalized and released.

The police have not issued any citations, saying at this point it appears to have been an accident that did not involve any traffic violations. But authorities are reviewing surveillance tapes from cameras posted on the Kimmel Center to be sure.

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local/state, denise james

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