Unlicensed cab driver shot, wounded in West Philadelphia

WEST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police say an unlicensed cab driver is recovering in the hospital after being shot during a robbery attempt in West Philadelphia.

It happened at about 12 a.m. Tuesday.

Police say the 54-year-old driver was approached by two men in the 200 block of South 52nd Street and was asked if he was "hacking."

One suspect then got in the front seat, the other in the back.

Police say when the driver asked the suspects for money, the man in the front seat pulled out a gun and hit the victim in the head and face.

That suspect demanded the victim "give it up," police say, and when the driver was unable to produce money fast enough, the suspect in the back seat opened fire.

The victim was hit twice as the bullets passed through the seat, and then both suspects fled on foot.

Officers arrived on the scene and rushed the driver to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was admitted in serious but stable condition.

He is expected to recover.

Police are checking for surveillance video that might yield clues as they work to track down the suspects.

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