Family Of British Tourist Struck By Cab Arrives At Hospital

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The family members of a British tourist struck by a cab and critically injured have arrived from England to be by her side.

The victim, 23-year-old Sian Green, is recovering Wednesday at Bellevue Hospital. She was rushed to the hospital and into surgery, but doctors couldn't save her left foot. Although there were injuries to her right leg, it was not severed, police said.

Green was enjoying her first day in New York on Tuesday when a cab jumped the curb on Sixth Avenue near Radio City Music Hall and plowed directly into her.

The cabbie, identified as Mohammed Himon, who has been registered with the Taxi and Limousine Commission since 2010, is not facing criminal charges, but was issued a summons for being an unauthorized driver in the vehicle that he was operating. The TLC is moving to suspend Himon's taxi license, CBS 2's Don Champion reported.

Sources told CBS 2 that Himon had several moving violations, including running a red light, speeding, improper turn and use of a bus lane, in 2010, when he was granted his license.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly answered growing questions about why Himon isn't facing criminal charges in the crash.

"He was given a summons, but as I say, the investigation is going forward," Kelly said. "It takes some time to do that and reconstruct the scene the best they can. We use technicians to do that. We have to get them to the scene. So that's ongoing."

Shocked witnesses jumped into action immediately after the chaotic incident.

Plumber David Justino and food truck owner Max Crespo were among the first to respond and tried desperately to save the woman's life.

"The whole time she just screamed how much pain she was in. 'Please help me,'" said  Justino.

"Myself and a plumber put a tourniquet on," said Crespo. "The plumber took his belt off and applied the first tourniquet. I grabbed her leg, the part that was torn off, and put it in a bucket of ice."

Witnesses said the cab driver grew aggressive and impatient with a cyclist while turning onto 49th Street.

"I could touch the hood of the car, that's how close he was," said the cyclist, who did not want to give his name. "I told him to stop, he gets angry, he honks his horn and he accelerates, and that's it -- I'm on the hood of the car."

TV's "Dr. Oz," who was in the area at the time of the crash, rushed over when he heard the accident. He credited bystanders with saving the woman's life and posted a photo of himself with Justino on his Facebook page.

"Just did what needed to be done," Justino said. "There's no hero. Just Dave the plumber."

Justino went to Bellevue Wednesday to visit Green but was turned away, Champion reported. "I just want to see her face ... I don't know. She doesn't owe me anything. I just wanted to see her young face."

Justino was told he may be able to see Green later, 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported.

"The desk girl said I may get a shot of seeing her tomorrow; if her parents think it's OK, I see her," she said.

Three friends of Green's boyfriends also came to the hospital, but were also turned away. They told reporters it is difficult to think about Green in the hospital all alone.

Brad Wierzbicki, who played basketball in England with Green's boyfriend, traveled from upstate to try to visit her. "An amazing person -- one of the sweetest girls you'll ever meet in your life," he told CBS 2's Jessica Schneider.

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