Chasing After Customer, Cab Driver Killed by His Own Taxi

A 65-year-old father and long-time cab driver was killed in a tragic accident Sunday night in the Bronx when he was run over by his own taxi — and now police are looking for the last person who hailed Mohammad Zafrullah's cab.

Police say Zafrullah was robbed by the person he was driving. The passenger reportedly stole the Brooklyn driver's backpack and Zafrullah got out of his vehicle without properly putting it in park. 

When officers arrived at the scene, they found an empty yellow taxi cab with the engine running, the gear in reverse and Zafrullah lying in the middle of the street with a head trauma. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators are now searching for surveillance videos of the customer.

Ed Olivieri says Zafrullah's cab ran into his parked vehicle and damaged both doors but he didn't witness what happened.

"It’s nothing for me to cry over considering, there was a life lost I can recover from that," Olivieri said. "It’s quite sad considering these men and women are hard workers, probably have families. Tragedy on a beautiful weekend."

Zafrullah had been driving cabs since 1997, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission. 

"We are terribly saddened by this tragedy. The TLC is assisting the NYPD in its investigation, and we have every confidence that they will find the individual(s) involved," TLC said in a statement.

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