Taxi Hits Pedestrians on Upper West Side

A taxicab SUV slammed into pedestrians and then crashed into a storefront on the Upper West Side Friday afternoon, authorities said.

At least seven people were hurt; one critically. FDNY medics responded to the scene. Four of the injuries are considered minor.

The accident happened at Amsterdam Avenue at West 107th Street. The cab jumped a curb and hit Mama's Pizzeria.

The police also responded and are investigating.

A witness, Chelsea Gabbert, says two young girls were eating next to the spot where the SUV rammed the restaurant, the AP reported. She says she also saw two people pinned by the car.

Frances Rivera was at the pizzeria counter with her daughters at around 4 p.m. when the plate glass windows exploded. "My kids flew from the impact," she said.

Her 8-year-old, Tianna, was among four people with minor injuries, cut by flying glass when the yellow SUV hit Mama's Pizzeria on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Her 4-year-old was unharmed.

Deborah Sapia, Tianna's grandmother, said she rushed to the scene of the accident on West 106th Street after receiving a panicked call from her daughter-in-law, who was screaming that the girl was bleeding.

There she saw the corner pizza place thrown into chaos, shards of glass on the ground and three people prone on the sidewalk as emergency workers performed triage.

A few hours later, inspectors from the Buildings Department were at the pizzeria, examining the building's damage after the crash. The pizzeria's benches could be seen in disarray inside the shop. The cab's front grille was seen lying against the building's outside wall.