8 Hurt When Taxi Slams Into Restaurant In Hell's Kitchen

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A taxi smashed into a Manhattan restaurant Thursday afternoon.

The taxi smashed into the restaurant Westville shortly around 12:30 p.m. at 811 Ninth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen.

Eight people suffered non-life threatening injuries, according to the FDNY. Five of them were taken to area hospitals.

Surveillance video shows it all happen. In the video, you can see people walking down the sidewalk, then the yellow cab appears and goes right up on the curb on 9th Avenue and 54th Street, striking several people and slamming into the restaurant.

The restaurant manager told CBS2's Ali Bauman two women eating lunch managed to jump out of the way in time.

The cab driver says he was picking up a fare when another car struck him from behind.

"He is pushing from behind," the driver said. "I thought if I brake, it would be a massive crash."

"The whole front of the car was in [the restaurant] and it pushed these tables all the way to the other side of the room," said Westville manager Peter Staly. "The women sitting here saw it coming. It jumped the curb at the corner so they saw it coming and were able to get out of the way just in time."