By: Jerry Burke
Detectives at the sex crimes unit identified the cab driver as Christopher Willard, 26, of Oakford Street in West Hempstead. Willard worked as a taxi driver for Long Island Checker Cab running out of Merrick.
At about 12:45 a.m. Saturday, he was dispatched to the Mirage, a nightclub located on Merrick Avenue in Westbury, to picked up a 30-year-old woman. She asked to be taken to a friend's house in Bellmore. Police say Willard drove the woman to the friend's house, but no her friend was not at home.
Detectives say Willard then drove his passenger to another location somewhere in Bellmore, where he then raped her and stole money from her pocketbook. He then dropped the woman off at the friend's house. Police would not yet comment as to whether the woman was possibly intoxicated at the time.
Police were quickly called and after an initial investigation, they paid a visit to the checker cab company's office in Merrick. The dispatcher called Willard back into the office for questioning and, according to police, Willard drove up to the office, saw police cars and drove away from the area.
Willard led police on a 20-mile chase and according to police, struck two police cars and drove into the guard rail as he transferred from the Meadowbrook Parkway into the eastbound Southern State Parkway.
After the accident, Willard exited the vehicle and ran into a wooded area where he was pursued and subsequently arrested at 3:30 a.m. Police reported no injuries during the car chase, but one officer was cut on the leg while pursuing Willard on foot.
Willard is being charged with rape in the first degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree and resisting arrest. Police have said he did have a prior record of petty crimes in Nassau County but were continuing the investigation.
Hector Flores contributed to this story.
