March 23, 2026 NEW YORK, NY Manhattan’s luxury playground, Hudson Yards, turned into a real-life action movie set just after midnight Sunday when a gunman sent a veteran cabbie running for his life.
The Hijacking at Gunpoint
It was 12:30 a.m. outside 459 West 33rd Street when the peace was shattered. Police say 28-year-old Ryce Joseph didn't just hail a cab—he stormed one. Brandishing a firearm, Joseph allegedly lunged at a 53-year-old driver, forcing the terrified man out of his own vehicle before sliding behind the wheel.
With a stolen yellow cab as his getaway car, Joseph reportedly tore down 10th Avenue, sparking a high-stakes pursuit through the heart of the city.
The Chase Ends in Steel and Glass
The "joyride" didn't last long. NYPD units caught the scent, trailing the stolen taxi through the concrete canyons of Lower Manhattan. The pursuit reached a bone-jarring conclusion at the intersection of Canal and Lafayette Streets, where Joseph’s luck—and his steering—ran out.
The stolen cab slammed into an unmarked NYPD vehicle, bringing the dangerous escapade to a grinding halt. Miraculously, no officers or bystanders were injured in the wreck. Joseph was hauled off in handcuffs without further incident, facing a laundry list of charges:
-
Unlawfully fleeing a police officer
-
Criminal possession of stolen property
-
Menacing
-
Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle
Is Hudson Yards Under Siege?
This brazen carjacking comes on the heels of another high-profile heist in the district. Just last month, thieves made off with $30,000 in high-end jewelry from a Hudson Yards retailer after pulling a classic distraction play on an employee.
However, despite these headline-grabbing crimes, the numbers tell a surprising story. Data from the 10th Precinct shows that major crime is actually down nearly 29% compared to last year, with robberies plummeting a staggering 42.9%.
