The widow of an 80-year-old Purple Heart veteran who was fatally struck by a car on Saturday says her husband, Rubin Baum, died saving her life.
60-year-old Denise Baum said, "He sacrificed his for life for me. He really gave me a good shove. It was in a second, he saved my life."
The New York Times reports the couple was trying to hail a cab when two cars, a 2000 Mazda and a 2011 minivan carrying a Pakistani diplomat, collided at East 59th Street and Park Avenue. The crash sent one of the vehicles into a tailspin and hit the couple.
They were taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell where Rubin was pronounced dead. Denise suffered minor injuries to her leg.
"He was pinned under the car," she said. "I tried to lift the car. I was so ashamed. I couldn’t lift it."
Police believe no criminal intent is suspected and neither driver has been charged.
A dedicated Giants fan, Baum had served as an Army medic during the Korean War and received two Purple Hearts for his service. He managed multiple manufacturing businesses in the Garment District before working as a real estate agent.
Rubin and Denise met almost 40 years ago while both were trying to hail a cab in Midtown. “I was trying to steal his taxi,” Denise told The Times.