Spruce St. accident injures taxi driver

One person is in fair condition after being injured last night in a traffic-related accident that occurred just east of the intersection of 38th and Spruce streets, according to University Police. At approximately 9:12 p.m., a taxi driver employed by Olde City Taxi was hit while crossing the street by a car traveling east on Spruce Street. The man was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was listed in fair condition last night, according to HUP officials. "He walked out of his cab into the middle of the street and was on his way back across the street and got hit," said Robert, a driver for Victory Cab Association, who witnessed the accident and did not want his last name printed. After the man was struck, he "flipped over the front [of the car] and rolled off to the side" onto the road, said College senior Paul Babb, another witness to the accident. The victim "wasn't bruised, but he was in pain," Robert said. He explained that while the victim remained conscious, he was unable to walk. The car that struck the victim, a silver Ford, had damage to the right side of its front windshield. According to Robert, the vehicle was traveling at approximately 30 miles per hour, "not excessively fast." The accident occurred at the taxi line that usually forms outside of the Upper Quadrangle. Four or five taxis were lined up at the time. Robert speculated that the victim was out of his car to "look up the line to see if it was moving." Robert was hesitant to assign negligence to either party, but stressed the responsibility that comes with being a taxi driver. "The [victim] wasn't looking," Robert explained. "Apparently, the driver of the car wasn't looking either... if there's somebody in the middle of the street, you have to see them." University Police released the man driving the car after questioning. The damage to his car was not significant enough to prevent him from driving away after the police allowed him to leave. University Police would not release any further details regarding the accident last night.

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