NEW ORLEANS - What lengths would you go to to retrieve a stolen cellphone? A New Orleans cab driver actually chased down the man who allegedly made off with his phone.
WWL-TV obtained security camera video of the cab headed the wrong way down Lafayette Street in the Central Business District.
The video shows the suspected cellphone thief run down the street as he tries to avoid the cab. At one point, the cab plows through a line of construction barricades and appears to bump the man. The cab driver then reportedly turned on St. Charles Avenue heading the wrong way, still in pursuit.
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At some point, the chase got the attention of New Orleans police.
According to an NOPD spokesman, the chase was spurred by a disturbance between a cab driver and a man who asked to use the cab driver's phone.
“When the cab driver loaned his phone to the individual, he ran off with it. The cab driver chased the man and retrieved the phone. The cab driver did not wish to press charges and both individuals were allowed to leave the scene.”
WWL-TV has reached out to the city’s Taxi Cab Bureau for comment and the name of the cab driver.
According to the time stamp on the video, the chase happened about 5:40 a.m. Wednesday.
Tune in to Eyewitness News at 6 p.m. for more on this story. WWL-TV reporter Paul Murphy can be reached at pmurphy@wwltv.com; Follow him on Twitter at @PMurphyWWL