Mohammed Faysal Himon, 24, the taxi driver who struck a bike messenger and hit a British tourist severing her left leg, on August 20 is back on the road.
Himon's TLC license was suspended for 30 days following the accident for "unauthorized operation of his vehicle," but his driving record includes more moving violations like speeding, running a red light, making an improper turn and a 2010 accident in which a passenger was injured, Gothamist reports.
No charges were filed against Himon by the NYPD or Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance after the August 20 accident. Himon's license was thus reinstated and reclaimed by the cabbie on September 26.
According to TLC spokesperson Allan Fromberg, “Without any action having been taken against him by the DA’s office or the NYPD, there’s no lawful basis for TLC to have held it beyond the 30-day suspension he served."
Former New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers head, Fernando Mateo, spoke in defense of Himon at a press conference on August 23. Mateo claimed to represent Himon and blamed the bike messenger involved in the accident for the crash.
"This is not Mohammed’s fault. It is the fault of the cyclist," Mateo said to reporters outside Bellevue Hospital. "Who would you rather believe, a man who immigrated to this country and supports his family back home, or a thug?”
Himon, himself, also blamed cyclist Kenneth Olivo, 40, for the accident and said that Olivo banged on the hood of his car causing him to lose control and jump the curb. He added that he was "very sorry" for Green's injuries.
Olivo has a rap sheet that includes 22 arrests, including a bust for threatening to decapitate a man and kill his family.
Sian Green, 23, a former beauty queen and an aspiring dancer, almost lost both of her legs below the knee when Himon's cab struck her, but doctors were able to save her right leg, NY Daily News reports. Good Samaritans on the scene, including TV's Dr. Mehmet Oz and a hero plumber, helped save Green from dying of blood loss thanks to improvised tourniquets. Green is now back home in Leicester, England.
According to a report from Streetsblog, the case is still open and active, but it is doubtful that Himon will face charges, since it appeared to be a case of "pedal misapplication."