NYC taxi cab victim speaks out: ‘Didn’t even know what happened’

(NEW YORK) — A 9-year-old boy visiting New York City for the holidays will remain hospitalized “for quite some time,” the boy’s mother said after they both were pinned by a taxi cab on Christmas Day.

“[It] hit us from behind. Didn’t even know what had happened,” the 41-year-old mother, who was visiting with her family from Australia, told New York ABC station WABC. “I just remember being on the ground and something on top of me. I could hear the wheels screeching and my son screaming next to me.”

The taxi cab jumped the curb and struck six pedestrians in Herald Square shortly after 4 p.m. on Christmas Day after the 58-year-old driver suffered a medical emergency, police said. All impacted pedestrians suffered non-life-threatening injuries, with three — including the mother and son — transported to area hospitals, officials said.

Witness Ryan Tucker told WABC that he and several other good Samaritans helped lift the cab off the mother and son after the crash.

“I ran over and noticed there was a little boy, his leg was underneath the front passenger tire as it was spinning,” Tucker told the station.

One man shut the car off, according to Tucker.

“There was a whole group of us that ripped the fender off, lifted the car back, and then that’s when I kind of grabbed the little boy,” Tucker told WABC.

Tucker, who was visiting from Oregon, told WABC that his wife was also struck by the taxi on her back shoulder. He said he ensured his wife was OK before joining others to help the mother and son.

The boy broke his right femur in the crash and has “severe” burns on his leg, his mother told WABC.

“He’s going to be in the hospital for quite some time,” she told the station.

“We were just here for Christmas holidays,” she added. “Christmas and New Year’s. Day three in the city and that happened.”

The taxi driver was transported to Bellevue for further evaluation. There is no criminality suspected, police said.

ABC News’ Victoria Arancio and Leah Sarnoff contributed to this report.