A taxicab struck two girls on the southern end of Central Park this morning, and the driver took off before cops arrived, authorities and witnesses said.
One girl, 9, and another, 7, were taken to a hospital with minor injuries at 11:28 a.m., police and fire officials said.
The kids were in a day camp with two dozen other kids, all wearing blue T-shirts stamped with “Goodwill Industries, Beacon PS 149.”
Campers were crossing south on 59th Street at Sixth Avenue when the cab made a left turn toward the kids, witnesses said.
A camp staffer said she threw her hand up, screaming at the cabbie to stop. When the driver did, he backed up without seeing the two kids he hit, witnesses said.
That sparked a heated exchange between the driver and camp staffers, according to witnesses. The driver checked on the kids’ injuries, but left before officers arrived, police said.
Passengers in the cab jumped out before the driver sped off, heading north into Central Park, witnesses said.
“It happened so fast, I was just banging on the cab to stop,” said the frantic camp counselor. “It [the cab] hit her [injured 7-year-old] on the side.”
Additional reporting by David K. Li