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New Yorkers rush in to lift 4,500-pound taxi off women after it crashes into cafe and injures 6

A group of people assembled to lift the cab off two female tourists who were trapped underneath after it crashed into a cafe in Manhattan

A group of New Yorkers rushed to provide help when an out-of-control cab crashed into a Manhattan cafe on Monday, June 20. Onlookers quickly assembled to lift the 4,500-pound SUV off two injured female tourists who were trapped under it after the crash.

The two women were among six tourists injured in the incident that took place at 1186 Broadway between West 29th and West 28th streets before 1 pm. "They weren't screaming or talking — they were just in complete shock and watching us," said Marcos De Ogueta, one of the people who helped after the incident.

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He was working on the second floor of the new Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences on the NoMad block when he heard the crash. According to reports, three of the victims were in critical condition, with one woman having lost a leg and the ankle on her other leg mangled. The second woman was missing the majority of one of her thighs. Video of the rescue effort taken from a few floors above the street shows a number of people lifting the taxi to free the women from under the car.

"The driver was in complete shock, just sitting in his seat with his hands on the wheel. He was in the car for a couple of minutes until someone banged on his window and told him to get out because we were trying to lift the car to free the women. He eventually got out, took a few steps, then fainted," revealed De Ogueta. Truck driver Kader Issoufou said, "He hit the cyclist first, then he hit the people eating. Everybody rushed over and lifted the taxi off two women trapped underneath."

"One woman's legs are gone. They were all mangled. A guy took off his belt and tied it around her leg to try and stop the bleeding," he added. While three of the injured were in critical condition, the New York City Fire Department said the other three victims had non-life-threatening injuries. The victims were rushed to Bellevue Hospital. "Right now, it appears to have been an accident, but our Highway Investigation team is here, and they’ll be figuring out exactly what happened," said NYPD Chief John Chell, as per The New York Post.

During an interview with WABC, Mayor Eric Adams revealed that the people struck were tourists. "We're going to continue to reach out to those who lived outside the city, I'm going to speak with their mayors and see if they need any assistance navigating the bureaucracy here," he said. "At this time, we know that at least six people were injured today when a taxi and a cyclist collided and innocent pedestrians were caught in the aftermath. This is a terrible tragedy, and those injured and in critical condition are in all of our prayers," his statement read.

"We will continue to release as much information as possible when we receive it. But we should not have to accept, and I will not accept, a reality where New Yorkers die from traffic violence. Traffic safety is all of our concern, and I will continue working and taking action every day to keep New Yorkers and everyone else visiting our city safe on our streets. I also want to thank the numerous New Yorkers who came to the aid of those injured and displayed that New Yorkers will always be there for each other," the release concludes.

A representative for Black Seed Bagels, the cafe involved in the car crash, told The New York Post, "We are working closely with the NYPD and DOT in their investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Our hearts are with those who were injured as we pray for their well-being." Issoufou, one of the rescuers, felt, "The city gotta be blamed too. Too many people are eating on the street, and it's too dangerous."