Fare Beater Beats Taxi Driver

82-Year-Old Driver Knocked Unconscious 

The NYPD is searching for this man in connection with the beating of a taxi driver on Canal Street. -Photo by NYPD

By Dan Gesslein 

Manhattan Voice

November 17, 2023

MANHATTAN - An elderly taxi driver was knocked unconscious by his passenger who refused to pay the fare, the NYPD said.

At around 1 am on November 10, an 82-year-old taxi driver drove his cab to 40 Canal Street. At the location, the passenger refused to pay the fare. The passenger exited the taxi and the driver confronted him, demanding he pay up.

Suddenly the passenger punched the elderly man in the face, cops said. The driver fell onto the street unconscious. The passenger then kicked the unconscious driver.

The attacker walked away from the crime scene, hailed another cab and rode away.

EMS rushed the victim to NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital where he was treated and later released.

The suspect is described as a male with a light complexion and a slim build. He is 25 to 30 years of age and is 5 foot 9 to 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing a dark colored jacket, dark colored pants, and light colored shoes.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. 

All calls are strictly confidential.