Veteran taxi driver is killed after his own cab fatally struck him as he tried to chase a thief who had stolen his bag

  • Mohammad Zafrullah, 65, died of his injuries as he tried to stop a thief
  • He dropped-off his rider at 11.45pm on Sunday in the Bronx, New York 
  • The suspect stole Zafrullah's backpack from the open passenger-side window 
  • As he chased the thief, his cab was in reverse and knocked him to the ground
  • The Brooklyn resident was found unresponsive in the middle of the street
  • He died of his injuries at 7.35am on Monday at Jacobi Medical Center
  • Police are searching for the thief who was wearing a white shirt
  • It is not clear if the suspect will be charged for any other offences

By Josh Saunders For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

A veteran yellow cab driver has died after he was fatally injured by his own car while trying to chase-down a passenger who had stolen his bag.

Mohammad Zafrullah, 65, had dropped-off the rider at around 11.45pm on Sunday between Seward and Rosedale Avenues in the Bronx, New York, when the incident occurred.

As he got ready to pull-away, the rider walked around to the passenger-side of the car, reached into the open window and grabbed the driver's backpack.

Veteran taxi driver Mohammad Zafrullah, 65, of Brooklyn, died of his injuries on Monday after being struck by his own cab while in pursuit of a thief who stole his bag

Veteran taxi driver Mohammad Zafrullah, 65, of Brooklyn, died of his injuries on Monday after being struck by his own cab while in pursuit of a thief who stole his bag

Zafrullah dropped his passenger off between Seward and Rosedale Avenues, in the Bronx, when the thief stole his bag

Zafrullah dropped his passenger off between Seward and Rosedale Avenues, in the Bronx, when the thief stole his bag

Zafrullah raced after the thief, but had not put his vehicle into the 'parked' position and instead left it in 'reverse,' according to the New York Post. 

As he chased around the back of his car it rolled into him, knocking Zalfrullah to the ground and then continuing to run over him, before hitting a parked vehicle. 

First responders attending the scene confirmed that Zafrullah was unresponsive and lying in the middle of the street when they found him. 

The Brooklyn resident was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, according to NYPost, where he died of his injuries shortly after 7.35am on Monday.

A 911 caller initially believed Zafrullah had been stabbed until a gruesome video was discovered revealing the cause of his death, New York Daily News reported.  

Police are on the lookout for the thief, who was wearing a white shirt, but have not made clear whether the suspect will face charges beyond snatching the bag.  

Zafrullah had been a cab driver since at least 1997, the Daily News were told by the Taxi and Limousine Commission.  

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