RAMAPO — A 45-year-old Spring Valley man died after being struck by a taxi in a parking lot on East Eckerson Road early Sunday morning.
A police officer was flagged down near 64 E. Eckerson Road at approximately 1 a.m. Aug. 3 by several people appearing to need assistance.
The officer discovered a male stuck underneath a 2014 red Toyota Prius in the parking lot of 64 East Eckerson Road.
The man appeared seriously injured but was breathing, conscious and semi-responsive.
Spring Hill Ambulance and Rockland Paramedics arrived shortly afterward.
A car jack provided by a bystander was used to lift the vehicle off the man, and he was extracted.
He was treated at the scene and transported to Nyack Hospital where he died of his injuries.
The identity of the Spring Valley resident is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The operator of the Toyota Prius, a 32-year-old Spring Valley woman, remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
The woman, who was working as a taxi driver, was determined not to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
She was arrested for operating with a suspended license and released with a future court date in the Town of Ramapo.
The taxicab was leaving the location after dropping off a fare when it struck the man who was lying in the parking lot.
Interviews with witnesses indicate the man may have been the victim of an assault prior to being struck by the vehicle.
The female taxi operator does not appear to have been involved in the possible assault.
The Detective Bureau and Crash Investigation Unit began a joint investigation into the crash and what may have occurred prior to it.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the police department at (845) 357-2400.
