Queens Taxi Driver Arrested After Fatal Pedestrian Hit-and-Drag

A taxi driver from Queens was taken into custody after striking and dragging a man on the Upper East Side early Saturday morning, resulting in the pedestrian’s death. Abdul Hakim, 71, is accused of hitting James Mossetty, 36, as he crossed York Avenue near East 72 Street around 4:50 a.m.

According to police, Mossetty became lodged in the vehicle—a 2021 Toyota RAV4—and was dragged for several blocks until he was dislodged on the Queensboro Bridge. Emergency responders pronounced him dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital. Hakim was apprehended hours later.

When questioned by authorities, Hakim admitted to being the driver at the time of the collision. He told police he heard a loud sound like he had hit something and noticed the taxi was moving slower, as if it was dragging something. However, he did not step out to check and handed over the vehicle to another driver less than an hour afterward. The second driver noticed damage to the hood of the taxi that wasn’t there previously.

Hakim was charged with leaving the scene without reporting and is currently held on $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 5.

It was revealed that Mossetty had previously escaped police custody in July 2024 while receiving treatment at Bellevue Hospital. He managed to free himself from handcuffs but was quickly caught on an MTA bus two miles from the hospital. At the time, he faced charges including assault, theft of services (for allegedly avoiding a $36 taxi fare), and possession of a controlled substance.

Family and friends remember Mossetty as a caring father, brother, and uncle, describing him as having “more lives than a cat.”