Two Australians were reportedly injured in New York City on Christmas Day when a taxi mounted the footpath and hit pedestrians after the driver suffered a medical episode, according to police.
A total of seven people are believed to have been injured in the incident, which occurred outside a Macy's department store in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon.
The injured Australians were a nine-year-old boy and his mother who were visiting New York, NBC New York reported, citing law enforcement sources.
They were both taken to hospital, as was another woman who was also injured.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the ABC the department was "aware of reports that two Australians have been hospitalised in the United States of America", but did not independently confirm the events presented by New York police.
"We stand ready to offer consular assistance to any Australian citizen should they request it," the spokesperson said.
The cab was reportedly heading west on 34th Street when it veered onto the footpath at Sixth Avenue near Herald Square just after 4pm local time, police said.
The 58-year-old taxi driver was also taken to hospital, and police said no charges had been laid.
Three other pedestrians declined medical attention, according to police. None of the injuries sustained by anyone in the crash were life-threatening.
Police confirmed the injured included a nine-year-old boy, two women aged 49 and three other women aged 19, 37 and 41, as well as the driver.
Speaking to CBS News, witness Ryan Tucker said his wife got hit by the cab and, after checking to see if she was okay, he helped the Australian mother and son.
"He was trapped under the tire, and when we moved the car back, realised that what ended up being his mum was underneath the car," Mr Tucker said.
He said he and other bystanders were then able to free both the mother and son from underneath the cab.
The injured Australian boy reportedly told him it was the worst holiday ever.
Images of the cab taken after the crash show a heavily damaged vehicle covered in dents and broken parts. It was towed away later in the evening.
The Macy's store where the incident occurred is located next to Herald Square near the corner of West 34th Street and Avenue of the Americas, or Sixth Avenue.
Over the Christmas period the store has elaborate decorated display windows, and is a magnet for both tourists and native New Yorkers.
ABC/Reuters
