Judging by our previous story involving a cab driver who was robbed at knifepoint, it seems that the Bay Area just isn’t happy with taxis these days; not unless they have one of their own.
Early Friday morning one wayward passenger had had enough backseat driving for a while and stole a taxi in the 3000 block of 19th Ave. near SF State.
The cab was parked at Denslowe and Banbury Drives around 1:15 AM, when the driver got out to help a sick passenger, police spokesman Officer Gordon Shyy said.
Seeing that the keys were still inside the Ford Escape taxi, which was still running, the suspect took that opportunity to get into the driver’s seat and hit the road, Shyy said.
The lengthy police pursuit took the suspect from the city onto I-280, then Highway 1 down to Pacifica and finally, back to SFSU. According to witnesses, the joyride ended when the cab slammed into parking poles near the humanities building. No one was injured during the carjacking and subsequent chase, Shyy said.
In all, the cab ride would’ve cost $174 and saw both cops and taxi reaching speeds up to 100 mph.
The driver, who was wearing a black hoodie and a hat according to witnesses, fled on foot near the SFSU bookstore at Tapia Dr. Police pursued the suspect as he ran towards 19th Ave. but lost him.
Police are hoping that surveillance inside the cab will aid in identifying the suspect, who is still on the loose.
If you have any information regarding the suspect or this crime, call SFPD’s anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or anonymously text a tip to TIP411 by typing “SFPD” at the beginning, then your tip.
