Sian Green, Tourist Who Lost Foot in NYC Taxi Crash, Gives 1st Interview

Sian Green, Tourist Who Lost Foot in NYC Taxi Crash, Gives 1st Interview
Tara MacIsaac
9/24/2013
Updated:
9/24/2013

British tourist Sian Green, 23, was recently released from Bellevue Hospital after losing part of her left leg when a New York taxi cab jumped a curb and ran into her near Rockefeller Center.

She spoke about the August 20 accident and her recovery for the first time in an interview on NBC’s Today show Tuesday.

“There’s good people in this world, very good people in this world that I can’t thank enough,’’ she said. “They saved my life. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now telling this story.”

Television’s Dr. Oz, who’s office is nearby, rushed to help Green. David Justino, a plumber working in the area, used his belt as a tourniquet. A pizza-truck owner, Matt Crespo, who was nearby attempted to save Green’s severed foot with hot dog vendor Mohamed El Sayed by getting it on ice in the vendor’s cart quickly. 

Green and her best friend, Keshia Warren, had bought a hotdog at Sayed’s cart shortly before the accident on Sixth Ave. and W 49th St. Green said she couldn’t have avoided the taxi as it barreled toward her. 

“I couldn’t move,” Green said. “If I had gone left, It'd had got me; If I had gone right, it’d had got me.”

Since that time, “it’s been a whirlwind and it’s turned upside down,” she said.

The cab driver, Mohammed Himon, was not charged. He had been arguing with a cyclist before swerving onto the sidewalk. He felt very bad about hitting Green and started a charity campaign to raise funds for her.