Elderly Stamford woman in wheelchair hit by taxi

Police investigate the scene where a man in a motorized scooter was hit by a taxi in the Southbound lane of Washington Boulevard at the corner of East Main Street in Stamford, Conn., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015. Police investigate the scene where a man in a motorized scooter was hit by a taxi in the Southbound lane of Washington Boulevard at the corner of East Main Street in Stamford, Conn., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015. Photo: Jason Rearick Buy photo Photo: Jason Rearick Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Elderly Stamford woman in wheelchair hit by taxi 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

STAMFORD -- A 72-year-old city woman was hospitalized with severe injuries after a taxi hit her as she crossed Washington Boulevard in a motorized wheelchair shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday.

Police Sgt. Andrew Gallagher said the woman had been crossing Washington Boulevard from the eastern side when a southbound taxi struck her.

"Her injuries, while severe, are not expected to be life-threatening," Gallagher said in an interview Thursday evening.

The police asked in a statement released later that anyone who witnessed the accident or might know someone who did call Officers Richard Dabrowski or Hugh Mullin of the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad at (203) 977-4712.

The scene of the accident was grim as the police investigated the collision. The taxi remained in the middle of the road just past the crosswalk at Washington Boulevard and Main Street, while in front of it the wheelchair lay in pieces in the roadway.

The woman in the motorized wheelchair was crossing Washington Boulevard from the Columbus Park side in the crosswalk when the taxi, traveling south toward Tresser Boulevard, hit her at 6:17 p.m.

The woman was taken by Stamford EMS to Stamford Hospital.

The taxi driver, Joseph Jean, 67, of Norwalk, was not injured in the collision. A 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis, the taxi was marked as belonging to the Stamford-based Independent Taxi company.

Gallagher said police had not filed charges against Jean as of Thursday night, but that "the investigation is ongoing."