Driver arrested after alleged attack with taxi
A taxi driver was arrested for allegedly running his cab into a customer twice after the two men argued in Kakaako yesterday morning.
The altercation occurred in the parking lot of CompUSA on Ala Moana Boulevard, where several witnesses said they saw the taxi driver try to hit the customer.
About 8:30 a.m., a 29-year-old man called a taxi from TheCab at Hobron Lane in Waikiki, police said. The customer was dropped off at CompUSA, paid his fare and left the taxi, but returned to argue with the driver in the parking lot, according to the taxi company.
The driver then grazed the customer with his vehicle, before the argument spilled onto Keawe Street, police said.
Witnesses said the driver tried to hit the customer again, but his car hit a parked vehicle instead. The argument continued, then the driver allegedly struck the customer one more time before fleeing, police said.
The victim was taken to the Queen's Medical Center in serious condition, said Emergency Medical Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic.
A 51-year-old Kalihi man who drove the taxi was arrested at 10 a.m. on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder.
The suspect is not an employee of TheCab, but rather worked for an independent contractor who has a dispatch agreement with the company, said TheCab President Howard Higa.
Higa said he spoke with the fleet owner who owns the vehicle and employs the suspect, and the owner said the customer used racial slurs against the driver and said that he wasn't from America.
The ensuing argument led to the driver allegedly trying to run over his customer, Higa said, who added that the vehicle had a cracked windshield.
"Our job is to make sure the contractors follow our company policies and rules," Higa said. "As of (yesterday), we told the owner we've terminated the agreement with him. This is all very unfortunate."