Cab driver run over by his own taxi while chasing robber

NEW YORK CITY — "My father was a fighter, a New Yorker through and through, and he went fighting until the very end," Tawsique Zafrullah told WCBS.

Tawsique is the heartbroken son of Mohammad Zafrullah.

Zafrullah fought back against a robber and ended up losing his life Sunday night.

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Police said the 65-year-old Yellow Cab driver picked up a man in the Bronx around 11:45 p.m.

The passenger jumped out of the taxi a few minutes later, grabbed Zafrullah's bag through an open window and took off.

That's when police said Zafrullah went after him, failing to put the car in park first.

"He got out of the car quickly right behind us here, and the car ran over him, severing his spine and injuring his head," said Fernando Mateo of the NYS Federation of Taxi Drivers.

The father of two died at the hospital a few hours later.

"We're very saddened by it but, once again, it's the reality of what it is to drive a cab in New York City," said Mateo.

Authorities said Tuesday night that a 16-year-old has been taken into custody and charged him with second-degree murder and robbery.

CNN/WCBS