US: Taxi in Boston crashes into group of cab drivers, injures 10 people

Boston: A taxi crashed into a group of cab drivers near the city’s airport on Monday, injuring 10 people in what police said appeared to be a “tragic accident.” The driver’s vehicle jumped a curb on Monday afternoon and struck a group of people gathered at an outdoor break area for cabbies. The area, known as the cab pool, is where drivers wait until they are called to pick up passengers at various locations around Logan International Airport. [caption id=“attachment_3773531” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A firefighter works at the scene where a taxi driver struck a group of pedestrians. AP[/caption] A police official said it appears the driver mistakenly pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake and it’s believed to be a case of “operator error.” The official was not authorised to comment on the record and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The driver, who’s from Cambridge, just west of Boston across the Charles River, remained at the scene, was interviewed by state police troopers and was allowed to leave after the interview, state police said. There was no information to suggest the crash was intentional, they said, and no charges were filed. The crash briefly raised fears of terrorism akin to attacks in Britain and Nice, France. But state police Maj Frank McGinn said there “does not appear at this time to be any indication of an intentional act, but more just a tragic accident.” The cab was seized for further investigation. Authorities did not immediately identify the driver but said he is employed by Metro Cab. An employee who answered the phone at the company declined to comment and would not release any details about the driver. McGinn said the driver has no history of driving violations. “He is known to be a very nice gentleman to his peers,” McGinn said. Another cab driver, Abdias Pierre, said those injured all appeared to be cabbies. He said drivers play cards and dominoes at tables in the break area. The injuries ranged from minor to severe, authorities said. The injured people were taken to several hospitals for treatment. The cab pool was closed after the crash but reopened a couple of hours later. Shortly before the crash, a Twitter account for the cab pool reported there were 300 taxis there. A spokeswoman for Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns the airport, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.