2008 Woodie Awards
Cab driver punched student in face
Ashley Patterson '09
Issue date: 2/28/07 Section: News
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Last Wednesday afternoon, in a mix of urgency and careless driving, an unsuspecting Saint Joseph's student became a victim of road rage when he was aggressively attacked by an angered cab driver on campus.
Pat Gallelli, '09, a biology major, was attacked by a Germantown Cab Company driver in the 54th and City Ave. parking lot. After the cab driver carelessly curved around a turn in the parking lot, he stopped abruptly on an angle, blocking Gallelli's car. At the same time, a line of cars had formed behind Gallelli's car, restricting him from backing up.
The situation escalated when Gallelli asked the cab driver to move so he and the line of cars forming behind him could pass. Galleli said that their verbal argument turned confrontational. While shouting back and forth, they both exited their vehicles, and then the cab driver approached Gallelli and attacked him.
The cab driver grabbed Gallelli's right hand, threw it up against the car and held him back while he began to punch Gallelli repeatedly in the face.
Gallelli explained he had little control over the situation, "The guy weighed about 280 pounds and I weigh about 135." The cab driver had no problem holding him back. "I tried to break hold but I couldn't. I just stood there, that's all I could do."
Still trying to make sense of the situation, Gallelli yelled at the cab driver. "What are you doing, Why are you punching me?" he said.
In that moment, Gallelli remembers a Hispanic male passenger in the cab yell, "Let's get out of here." The assumed friend of the driver watched nervously, ducking down against the front seat, before voicing his concern.
Following the advice of his friend, the cab driver immediately stopped punching, quickly hopped back into the cab and sped away from the scene.
Once the cab sped off, Gallelli still stunned from the struggle, had been completely unaware of any injuries. "I didn't even know I was bleeding until I saw red blood dripping from my nose," he said.
Pat Gallelli, '09, a biology major, was attacked by a Germantown Cab Company driver in the 54th and City Ave. parking lot. After the cab driver carelessly curved around a turn in the parking lot, he stopped abruptly on an angle, blocking Gallelli's car. At the same time, a line of cars had formed behind Gallelli's car, restricting him from backing up.
The situation escalated when Gallelli asked the cab driver to move so he and the line of cars forming behind him could pass. Galleli said that their verbal argument turned confrontational. While shouting back and forth, they both exited their vehicles, and then the cab driver approached Gallelli and attacked him.
The cab driver grabbed Gallelli's right hand, threw it up against the car and held him back while he began to punch Gallelli repeatedly in the face.
Gallelli explained he had little control over the situation, "The guy weighed about 280 pounds and I weigh about 135." The cab driver had no problem holding him back. "I tried to break hold but I couldn't. I just stood there, that's all I could do."
Still trying to make sense of the situation, Gallelli yelled at the cab driver. "What are you doing, Why are you punching me?" he said.
In that moment, Gallelli remembers a Hispanic male passenger in the cab yell, "Let's get out of here." The assumed friend of the driver watched nervously, ducking down against the front seat, before voicing his concern.
Following the advice of his friend, the cab driver immediately stopped punching, quickly hopped back into the cab and sped away from the scene.
Once the cab sped off, Gallelli still stunned from the struggle, had been completely unaware of any injuries. "I didn't even know I was bleeding until I saw red blood dripping from my nose," he said.
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