US News

CAB CRASH A TIMES SCARE

An out-of-control cab flew up onto a pedestrian island in a wild smashup in Times Square yesterday morning, scattering terrified tourists and sending six people – including a 10-year-old boy – to the hospital.

The taxi had collided with another cab just before careering onto the sidewalk near the military recruiting office at Broadway and 44th Street at about 10 a.m., witnesses said.

“There were a bunch of people standing,” said the driver of the wayward cab, Hafiz Ishaq, 39. “I heard screams. The lamp pole went down . . . I’m shaking. It’s terrible. There are no words for this, especially the screaming. I hope everybody is OK.”

The six victims, who had been standing on the concrete island that houses the recruiting office, were transported to Bellevue Hospital and treated for minor injuries.

Ishaq was headed downtown on Broadway when his cab was struck by the other, headed east on 44th Street, witnesses said.

Ishaq said he was not speeding and had a green light.

“I was coming down Broadway,” he said. “The lights were green. The other cab was coming on 44th Street. It was going from west to east, and he had a red light. If I had seen it a moment earlier, I could have stopped. The car hit me on the side. I lost control of the car.”

But other witnesses disagreed.

“The cab coming down Broadway was speeding like hell and ran the red light,” said Richard Choi, a T-shirt vendor. “It happened so fast.

“His car got hit and spun out of control. I saw his cab hit one woman. She got right up. I know it hit a kid, and he got hurt. There were a group of tourists running for their lives.”

Police said neither driver was expected to be charged in the crash.

The area, usually thronged with tourists, theatergoers and office workers, had been relatively quiet for a Sunday morning.

jamie.schram@nypost.com