Mohammed Elwaleed
November 20, 2007
New York, NY
WCBSTV.com
Nov 20, 2007
Cabbie Killed In Possible Road Rage
Police Hunt For Man & Woman Who Fled
Reporting
Deborah Garcia
NEW YORK (CBS) -- New York City Police are investigating the death of taxi driver who was run over by a black Nissan, possibly after a road-rage incident on Madison Avenue in Manhattan early Tuesday.
Police say the cabbie was found under the car at East 56th Street and Madison after midnight.
The man was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
He was a loving father who friends say, never raised his voice to anyone. Which is why no one understands how Mohamed Elwaleed was in an argument that ended with his death.
"I have never seen him have an argument with anyone. He was always friendly, always helpful. It's just a shame," said Elwaleed's landlord, Ari Hoogenboom.
It was just after midnight when Elwaleed, who was on duty as a cab driver, got into an argument with the driver of a Nissan Altima.
For some reason, Elwaleed left his car parked here on 65th street and walked over to the Nissan on Madison Avenue. That's when he was struck by the Nissan and left for dead.
"I came out and he was under the car and it looked bad," said an unidentified witness.
The driver of the Nissan and his female passenger took off on foot, leaving Elwaleed beneath the car. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
CBS 2 knocked on the door of the Nissan's registered owner, John Loyola of Harlem, but the person inside refused to talk to us.
Police said Loyola was not the man driving and that the car was not stolen. They have persons of interest, but no arrests have been made.
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Newsday
November 20, 2007
Did road rage kill a NYC taxi driver?
BY JOHN VALENTI | john.valenti@newsday.com
An apparent road rage incident in Manhattan left a yellow taxi cab driver dead early Tuesday morning, run over by the driver of a 2005 Nissan Altima who then fled the scene on foot with a passenger who was in the car.
New York City police are now searching for the duo. The incident occurred just before 12:30 a.m. at the intersection of Madison Avenue and East 65th Street.
Police said that, involved in an undisclosed dispute with the driver of the Nissan, the cab driver exited his yellow taxi cab and was run over -- by the driver of the Nissan.
The two occupants of the Altima then fled, leaving the car behind.
The cab driver, who has not been identified pending notification of his family, was taken by an EMS ambulance crew to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
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New York Taxi Workers Alliance
37 East 28th Street, Suite #302
New York, New York 10016
Phone: 212-627-5248
Fax: 646-638-4446
E-mail: nytwa1@aol.com / www.nytwa.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 21, 2007
FUNERAL FOR MOHAMMED ELWALEED
PRESS CONFERENCE To Follow
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
12:15 PM
Masjid-Alihsaan
977 Fulton Street
Taxi drivers are outraged over the hit and run killing of 8-year veteran Mohammed Elwaleed, who was intentionally run over by a private car motorist early Tuesday morning at 65 th Street and Madison Avenue. Mr. Elwaleed had stepped out of his taxicab to assess damages following an accident with the assailant, when he was struck down and left fatally injured under the car. The assailant and a female passenger fled the scene by foot.
Family, friends and union members gathered outside Brooklyn's Masjid-Alihsaan to ask for prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. "We can't bring him back, but we can give the family some peace in knowing (Mr. Elwaleed's) death matters."
Taxi drivers say Mr. Elwaleed was vulnerable because the color of his car was yellow. "It's not just the stranger in the back we have to worry about, it's the private car motorist who would think twice about assaulting a Lexus owner and not once about taking one of our lives," says Beresford Simmons.
Drivers are demanding an education campaign by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, with billboards and stickers inside and outside taxis, warning against crimes against drivers. NYTWA also wants the NYPD Taxi Unit to make solving crimes against drivers a part of the unit's mandate.
"Drivers are targeted while on the job, period. It doesn't matter whether they are sitting inside or standing out, with fares or alone on their way home. Crimes against drivers have to be stopped and assailants have to be brought to justice," says NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai.
Mr. Elwaleed's death is an escalation in hit and run crimes against drivers in the past two years. "In 2005, Shajedur Rahman was assaulted and left bleeding on the ground. For two years, he's been in a vegetative state. Now, a taxi driver has been run down in cold calculation," says 15-year veteran Victor Salazar. "Every driver knows it could have been any one of us."
Drivers are raising funds to support Mr. Elwaleed's widow, Maiva, 27, and two young sons, aged 18 months and seven years. "He was dedicated to his wife and sons," says Mr. Adam. "He waited for years to finally have his family here."
Brooklyn's Sudanese community is in shock from the murderous attack. Upon hearing of Mr. Elwaleed's death, hundreds of mourners filled the halls of Masjid-Alihsaan throughout the day. "He was a leader to us. He was always telling drivers we have to know our rights," says neighbor Mohamed Haider. "He was one of us," says Mr. Salazar.
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NY-1 News
November 20, 2007
Taxi Driver Killed in Alleged Road Rage Incident In Manhattan
Police say they know the name of the driver involved in a hit and run that killed a taxi driver on the Upper East Side overnight, however they are not releasing it at this time.
Investigators say taxi driver Mohamed Elwaleed had an argument with the driver of a Nissan Altima near the intersection of 65th Street and Madison Avenue a little after midnight.
At some point, Elwaleed left his car, and police say he was hit by the Altima. The NYPD also says say two people inside that car ran off. Witnesses say they could see right away that the cab driver was seriously injured.
"I came out and the accident was happening,’ said one area resident. “It looked bad, it looked real bad.’
“They used some hydraulic thing to lift it up, got him out, threw him in the ambulance and they were still doing CPR when they left,’ said another. “He didn't move at all. He was completely underneath the car."
Elwaleed was taken to New York Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A $3,000 reward is being offered for information. Anyone with information on this incident is being asked to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
ttp://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=8&aid=75783
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New York Sun
November 21, 2007
Taxi Driver Killed In Hit and Run
By Staff Reporter of the Sun
Police are searching for a suspect who hit and killed a taxi driver before fleeing the scene on the Upper East Side, police officials said.
The victim, Mohamed Elwaleed, 44, stepped out of his taxi at about 12:30 p.m. after he and the suspect got into a dispute on Madison Avenue near 65th Street, police said. Once Elwaleed exited the cab, the suspect hit and killed him, police said.
The suspect, who was driving a 1995 Nissan Altima, ran away from the scene of the accident on foot, police said.
While police identified a suspect yesterday, an arrest was not made.
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Daily News
New York, NY
Taxi driver struck and killed by car after argument in midtown Manhattan
By VERONIKA BELENKAYA and CORKY SIEMASZKO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Tuesday, November 20th 2007, 10:16 PM
A Brooklyn cabbie was killed in midtown Manhattan early Tuesday when he climbed out of his taxi to argue with another motorist - who then mowed him down, police said.
While Mohammed Elwaleed lay mortally injured on the street, the murderous motorist who rammed him and another occupant of the Nissan Altima fled on foot, police said.
Elwaleed, 44, a married father of two, was taken to New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center where he died less than an hour later, police said.
The tragedy unfolded just after midnight at Madison Ave. and 65th St.
It was not immediately clear what sparked the quarrel between the cabbie and the occupants of the Nissan. Police traced the car to a 40-year-old Manhattan man, according to sources who noted the Nissan had not been reported stolen.
No arrests were immediately made.
Elwaleed's 27-year-wife, Maiva, was inconsolable at the family's home in Ditmas Park. Friends said the couple had two sons - a 7-year-old and an infant - and that they were deeply in love.
"Everyone was always jealous of them because they were so in love together," family friend Sheza Mohamed, 34, said. "She can't believe he died."
Elwaleed moved from the Sudan to New York 15 years ago. He had been driving a cab for nearly eight years. Two years ago he was able to bring his wife and older boy to the U.S.
A devoted dad, Elwaleed always called his wife at least once when he worked the night shift.
"She talked to him right before it happened," Mohamed said. "He told her, 'Go to sleep, I'm coming home."
Elwaleed was supposed to knock off at 4 a.m.
In hindsight, his parting words to his wife took on a new poignancy.
"Last night before he left he told her, 'You have to take care of the boys,'" Mohamed recalled. "She was surprised when he said that."
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NY Post
SUSPECT ARRESTED IN CABBIE'S HIT-AND-RUN DEATH
By JAMIE SCHRAM
November 21, 2007 -- A hit-and-run driver who fatally mowed down a cabbie on the Upper East Side was busted early today in Pennsylvania, police sources said.
VIDEO: Taxi Driver Killed After Argument
The suspect, Luis Flores, 24, barricaded himself inside a residence when Pennsylvania authorities arrived to take him into custody after the NYPD had learned of his whereabouts, sources said.
Two detectives from the 19th Precinct traveled to Pennsylvania to bring him back to New York. Charges were pending against him.
Early Monday morning, the suspect and a female passenger got into a dispute with taxi driver Mohamed El Waleed, 44, at East 65th Street and Madison Avenue after their cars collided near Central Park, police and witnesses said.
El Waleed pulled over, stepped out of his cab and waved his hands to get the other driver to stop and exchange insurance information, cops said.
But the other driver didn't have the proper paperwork and repeatedly tried to flee by driving his Nissan around El Waleed, who kept blocking his path, sources said.
Finally, the Nissan ran over the cabbie, pinning him underneath the car, cops said.
The driver and his female passenger fled, but police soon caught her. No charges have been filed against her.
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Wife and son mourn hit-and-run death of Brooklyn cab driver
BY VERONIKA BELENKAYA and CORKY SIEMASZKO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Wednesday, November 21st 2007, 4:00 AM
Cabbie Mohammed Elwaleed was killed in midtown Manhattan early Tuesday when he climbed out of his taxi to argue with another motorist - who then mowed him down, cops said.
Cabbie Mohammed Elwaleed was killed in midtown Manhattan early Tuesday when he climbed out of his taxi to argue with another motorist - who then mowed him down, cops said.
A Brooklyn cabbie was killed in midtown Manhattan early Tuesday when he climbed out of his taxi to argue with another motorist - who then mowed him down, police said.
Mohammed Elwaleed's senseless death plunged his wife Mayada into mourning while their 7-year-old son struggled to understand what happened.
"She can't stop crying because Daddy won't come home," Khalid Elwaleed said. "I think God took him."
Cops were searching for the murderous motorist and the other occupant of the Nissan Altima, both of whom abandoned the car and fled on foot - leaving the 44-year-old Sudanese immigrant to die in the street.
"We have a suspect's name," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. "I don't want to put that name out at this time, but we believe we know the individual who was driving the car."
Elwaleed, a U.S. citizen who had driven a cab for eight years, had less than an hour to go on his shift when he got into the fatal confrontation just after midnight at Madison Ave. and 65th St.
It was not immediately clear what sparked the quarrel between the cabbie and the occupants of the Nissan. Police traced the car to a 40-year-old Manhattan man. Sources said the Nissan had not been reported stolen. The taxi union offered a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
In Ditmas Park, Elwaleed's 27-year-old wife cradled their 18-month-old son, Ahmed, and cried, "I love him, I miss him, I can't believe this happened!"
Little Khalid said his dad was supposed to come to his Thanksgiving celebration today at PS 139, where he is a second-grader.
"He took me to places like McDonald's and Burger King and Toys 'R' Us," the boy said. "One time in the first grade, my dad took me to the circus. He made a surprise for me. It was so fun."
Family friends said the Elwaleeds were like honeymooners.
"Everyone was always jealous of them because they were so in love together," said family friend Sheza Mohamed, 34. "She can't believe he died."
Elwaleed immigrated from Sudan to New York 15 years ago. Two years ago he was able to bring his wife and older boy to the U.S. Things were looking up for the reunited family.
"He was so happy because he bought a computer for his family," said Osama Mostafa, a longtime friend. "He probably still had the receipt in his pocket. He was so jubilant about buying that computer."
A devoted dad, Elwaleed always called home to say good-night to his wife and son when he worked the night shift.
"She talked to him right before it happened," Mohamed said. "He told her, 'Go to sleep, I'm coming home.'"
In hindsight, his parting words to his wife took on a new poignancy.
"Last night before he left he told her, 'You have to take care of the boys,'" Mohamed recalled. "She was surprised when he said that."
A funeral service will be held this morning at the Masjid Al-Ihssan mosque on Atlantic Ave. and Fulton St. in Brooklyn. After that, his widow will fly his body home to Sudan for burial.
Friends said she and her sons are unlikely to return.
vbelenkaya@nydailynews.com
With Alison Gendar and Tanangachi Mfun
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Newsday
Police arrest suspect in fatal hit-and-run of cabbie
November 21, 2007
NEW YORK - Police have arrested a suspect in the fatal hit-and-run of a New York City cabbie who was struck shortly after arguing with the driver of the other car.
Police say the argument occurred early Tuesday in midtown Manhattan. After getting out of his car, police say, cabbie Mohamed Elwaleed was struck by the other vehicle.
Elwaleed was taken to a local hospital, where he died less than an hour later. The driver fled on foot and left the car behind.
Police say the suspected driver was arrested Wednesday outside of Philadelphia after fleeing the city. He is in custody and charges are pending.
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wcbstv.com
Nov 21, 2007
Cops Arrest Suspect In Cab Driver's Death
Reporting
Ti-Hua Chang
NEW YORK (CBS) -- Police arrested a Manhattan man Wednesday, for allegedly running over and killing a cab driver in an apparent case of road rage on the Upper East Side.
Louis Flores, 34, had fled the city following the incident early Tuesday morning, sources told CBS 2 HD. He was being questioned at the 19th Precinct early Wednesday evening.
The arrest came on the same day friends and relatives paid their last respects to the cab driver, Mohammed Elwaleed, 54, of Brooklyn. His funeral was held at a mosque in his home borough, where those who knew Elwaleed described him as a compassionate and devoted father.
"We lost a very good and very close friend in our community," said Hassan Eltigani of the Sudanese-American Assoc.
Investigators said Elwaleed's cab was in an accident with a Nissan Altima near 65th St. and Madison Ave. early Tuesday morning. At some point Elwaleed got out of his car and was hit by the Altima.
Police told CBS 2 HD the driver of the car, Flores, and a woman ran off. Sources said they were in Flores' cousin's car.
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Didn't mean to kill him, says motorist who mowed down Mohammed Elwaleed
BY EDGAR SANDOVAL, RACHEL MONAHAN and ALISON GENDAR
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Thursday, November 22nd 2007, 4:00 AM
A motorist who mowed down a Brooklyn cabbie and fled the scene won't face murder charges because he didn't intend to hit the hack, authorities said Wednesday.
Luis Flores, 24, was caught by cops in East Whiteland Township, Pa., where he fled Tuesday after he struck and killed Mohammed Elwaleed, 44, during a traffic dispute in midtown Manhattan.
Flores was back in Manhattan last night, awaiting arraignment on charges of manslaughter and assault, as well as leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
"He called me at around 3 a.m. after the incident happened and told me he was afraid for his life," said Flores' godfather, William Ales, 40.
Flores, a construction worker, told cops the irate cabbie tailed him for four or five blocks after a fender-bender, then pulled up next to him at Madison Ave. and E. 65th St., Ales said.
Elwaleed jumped out of the car and ran at Flores, Ales said.
"He did not know what he could have been carrying," Ales said of the confrontation. Ales said Flores tried to swerve as Elwaleed ran in front of his car.
Flores' Nissan Altima hit the Sudanese immigrant and then he drove off, leaving the cabbie to die in the street.
"I told Luis, 'Turn yourself in,'" Ales said.
The Manhattan district attorney's office believes Flores' account and his insistence that he did not deliberately run over Elwaleed. Flores faces a top charge of manslaughter, which carries up to 15 years in prison.
That was small comfort to Elwaleed's family yesterday as they draped his pine coffin with a green velvet cloth and prepared to fly his body home to Sudan.
Elwaleed's mother, Asma Shibrin, fainted when word of her son's death reached her in Africa. His wife kept hoping he would walk through the door of the family's home in Ditmas Park and hug their sons, ages 7 and 18 months.
"She still believes Waleed is coming back," said Hassan Mohamed, 45, a friend who met Elwaleed when the two men drove gypsy cabs in Brooklyn.
"My wife went to see her and she told her, 'You're lying. He's coming back. He's coming back.'"
agendar@nydailynews.com
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New Sudan Vision
11/22/2007
Cab driver from Sudan killed in New York by motorist
An immigrant from Sudan, Mohammed Elwaleed, was killed by a motorist on Tuesday in New York during a traffic quarrel, according to reports from New York‘s Daily News.
Mohammed Elwaleed who was caught up in a road dispute was struck and killed by a driver of a Nissan Altima who ran away. He was later arrested on Wednesday, authorities have told the local media.
"We lost a very good and very close friend in our community," said Hassan Eltigani of the Sudanese-American Assoc.
The news of Elwaleed´s death caused outrage amongst Elwaleed´s friends. "We should not allow this to happen in the streets of New York City,’ said mourner Hassan Mohammad. “The manner in which Elwaleed was killed is outrageous. He was straight run over deliberately, purposely, without any mercy. Over what? Over sharing the street."
Elwaleed´s wife joined him a year ago “And they had a dream of their entire life together. That dream has turned into a complete nightmare," said a relative Awad Al Matbagi.
Authorities disclosed that the 24-year-old man Luis Flores who killed Elwaleed will not be charged of murder as he “didn´t intend to hit’ him.
Elwaleed left behind two young children.
Source URL: http://www.newsudanvision.com/news/cab-driver-sudan-killed-new-york-motorist-512
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Gothamist.com
November 22, 2007
Suspect Arrested in Cabby's Hit-and-Run Death
2007_11_flores.jpgThe driver who ran over cab driver Mohamed Elwaleed after an early Tuesday morning argument was arrested in Pennsylvania yesterday. Luis Flores, 24, told authorities he didn't mean to kill the cab driver, and authorities believe him.
Flores, while driving his cousin's Nissan Altima, had apparently gotten into an accident with Elwaleed, a 44-year-old Sudanese immigrant. Elwaleed followed Flores for a few blocks, in hopes of trading insurance information. At Madison Avenue and East 65th in Manhattan, Elwaleed got out of his cab and approached Flores. Flores' godfather William Ales said that his godson panicked because "he did not know what [Elwaleed] could have been carrying," trying to swerve away from Elwaleed but ended up driving over him. Flores and his female passenger abandoned the car at the intersection and fled on foot.
Flores left New York and the police tracked him down to East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania. He was transported back to the city last night and will face charges of manslaughter, assault and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Elwaleed's wife and two young sons are getting ready for his funeral in Sudan. Friends and family say that his widow still believes he will walk back through the door.
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NY Post
'CABBY' KILLER
By BRIGITTE WILLIAMS-JAMES
November 22, 2007 -- A 24-year-old man was busted in Pennsylvania yesterday in the road-rage killing of a cabby on the Upper East Side.
Luis Flores ran over Mohamed El Waleed at Madison Avenue and 65th Street early Tuesday after a fender-bender, cops said. Flores was charged with manslaughter, assault and other offenses.
While cops were escorting Flores to Manhattan, mourners at a Brooklyn mosque remembered the 44-year-old Sudanese-immigrant victim as a dedicated husband and father of two young boys.
"He was a good person, a beautiful man, all about his family," said fellow cabby Kaml Ali. Witnesses said El Waleed had stepped out of his taxi to try to exchange information with Flores after the two cars brushed. Cops said the suspect hit the accelerator and heartlessly mowed down El Waleed.
Just after the tragedy, Flores told family friend William Angeles, 40, that El Waleed was the aggressor.
Angeles spoke with the suspect after the incident and before he fled to Pennsylvania.
"He's a young fella, and he's afraid. That's what he told me," Angeles said. "I said, 'Luis, the best thing is to go to police and let them see what happened.' "
El Waleed will be buried in Sudan.
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NY1.com - Brooklyn
Man Arrested In Taxi Driver Hit-And-Run
November 22, 2007
Police have arrested the man suspected of running down a taxi driver on the Upper East Side.
Manhattan resident Luis Flores turned himself in to police Wednesday. He had left the city, but returned to face charges of manslaughter, assault and leaving the scene of an accident.
Police believe Flores hit 44-year-old Mohammed Elwaleed during an argument at the intersection of 65th Street and Madison Avenue early Tuesday morning.
A funeral for the Sudanese immigrant was held Wednesday. His body is being flown back to Sudan to be buried.
Money is being raised by the Taxi Workers Alliance to support Elwaleed's widow and two young sons.
The group is also calling for better protection of taxi drivers.
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New York Post
CHARGES IN MAD. AVE. CABBY KILL
By JENNIFER FERMINO
November 23, 2007 -- The Manhattan man accused of mowing down a beloved cabby on the Upper East Side was charged with second-degree manslaughter yesterday in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Luis Flores, 24, was also slapped with assault charges for the Tuesday accident, which began with a simple fender bender and culminated with the death of Mohamed El Waleed.
Judge Daniel FitzGerald ordered Flores - who fled to Pennsylvania after the incident - held in lieu of $250,000 cash bail.
Flores' lawyer, Robert Gershon, insisted his client never meant to hit the Sudanese immigrant and had panicked following the crash.
"He was only trying to maneuver his car out of the area," Gershon told the judge.
"The actions of the cabdriver getting out of his car and getting in front of the vehicle caused something to happen that was extremely regrettable."
Cops said Flores ran over El Waleed at the intersection of Madison Avenue and 65th Street after the hack got out of his car to exchange information following the collision.
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NY1.com
Nov. 24, 2007
Funeral Held For Cabbie Killed In Hit And Run
A man was arrested Wednesday in connection with the fatal hit and run on the Upper East Side that killed a cab driver, as friends and family gathered at a Brooklyn mosque to say goodbye to the victim.
Funeral services were held at a Brooklyn mosque for Mohammed Elwaleed. He was struck down Tuesday morning.
Police say Luis Flores, 34, of Manhattan is in custody after turning himself in. He was charged with manslaughter, assault, and leaving the scene of an accident.
Investigators say Elwaleed, 44, was involved in an argument with Flores, the driver of a Nissan Altima, near the intersection of 65th Street and Madison Avenue. At some point, Elwaleed got out of his car and was hit by the Altima. Police say Flores and a passenger ran off.
After the funeral, a family supporter expressed his outrage over the incident.
"We should not allow this to happen in the streets of New York City,’ said mourner Hassan Mohammad. “The manner in which Elwaleed was killed is outrageous. He was straight run over deliberately, purposely, without any mercy. Over what? Over sharing the street."
Elwaleed moved to the United States from Sudan 15 years ago.
Money is being raised by the Taxi Workers Alliance to support Elwaleed's widow and two young sons.
"A year ago, Mrs. Elwaleed was able to come to this country,’ said TWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. “And they had a dream of their entire life together. That dream has turned into a complete nightmare."
"The children, they don't know yet, you know, they're still young,’ said relative Awad Al Matbagi. “They're babies. But the wife is distraught."
The TWA is calling for better protection of taxi drivers and is asking the NYPD taxi unit to investigate crimes against cabbies.
"When there's a collision with a Mercedes Benz or a Lexus, there's a different reaction versus a collision with a yellow taxi cab in New York City," said Desai.
After Wednesday's funeral, Elwaleed's body was taken directly to JFK Airport to be flown back to his hometown in the Sudan, where he will be buried.
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