British tourist's leg severed as New York taxi runs her over
CAITLIN MCBRIDE – 21 AUGUST 2013
Sian Green, 23, was visiting New York when her leg had to be amputated after a New York City taxi driver ran over her leg as he swerved to avoid hitting a cyclist.
She was travelling with a female friend, the only person she knew in the US, and had emergency medical treatment immediately after the collision near Rockefeller Centre.
She is currently being treated in Bellevue Hospital, but her medical status has not been divulged.
The friends were sitting on the curb eating traditional New York City hot dogs when the car suddenly mowed into the crowd, knocking over Ms Green.
A plumber, David Justino, who witnessed the incident "saved her life" by fashioning a tourniquet with his belt.
He called Ms Green “a strong girl, a brave girl", and revealed she conscious during the entire ordeal.
“Her left leg was severed off, the other was mangled,” he said.
“She was conscious the whole time, the poor thing.
"I wished she would have passed out.”
Celebrity doctor and tv host 'Dr Oz', who has a nearby office, rushed to her aid, assisting Mr Justino in the emergency recovery procedure.
The taxi driver, Faysal Kabir Mohammad Himonn, 24, was issued a summons for being an unauthorized driver.
“The real hero of the day is plumber Dave, just an average Joe, an average Dave just walking along the street but he saved her life,” Dr Oz told the New York Daily News.
“It's very smart thinking. A simple thing like a union plumber's belt can save your life.”
