Middletown taxi driver charged after head-on crash injures two

A head-on crash on North Street left two people hurt and raised sharp questions about how a Middletown taxi driver with a suspended license and no city hack license was still behind the wheel. Police say the driver, 37-year-old Curt Mead of Middletown, was operating a Syndicate taxi when he crossed into oncoming traffic on Saturday, June 7, and slammed into a red Acura.

Mead was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, aggravated unlicensed operation and operating without a City of Middletown taxi operator’s license. Police also issued traffic tickets for unlicensed operation and unsafe tires. Investigators said preliminary findings suggest Mead may have nodded off before the collision and may have been under the influence of narcotics, although that question remains open until blood-test results are complete.

The driver of the Acura and a passenger in the taxi both suffered neck and back injuries and were taken to Garnet Health Medical Center. News 12 Hudson Valley reported that the injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, but the crash still totaled the cab and put a commercial vehicle off the road in the middle of a busy Orange County corridor.

The case is drawing attention because Middletown requires more than a standard driver’s license to carry taxi passengers. City documents say cab operators must obtain a separate license through the City of Middletown Police Department, submit to fingerprinting and be photographed, and pay a $100 application fee. The city code also says taxi license records, including suspensions and revocations, are kept on file for at least seven years.

State rules add another layer. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles says taxi and livery drivers in New York State must be at least 18 and hold a qualifying license class A, B, C or E. In Middletown, police said Mead did not have the required city-issued hack license, making the alleged licensing lapse a regulatory breach as well as a public-safety issue.

Taxi owner Amar Singh told News 12 Hudson Valley that Mead was not supposed to be driving that day, was not scheduled to work and had previously been fired over prior issues. Singh also said Mead was the brother of the driver who was supposed to be operating the cab. The city’s taxi medallion application carries a separate $500 fee for those seeking to operate a taxicab in Middletown under the city code.

Police said the investigation remains active and that additional charges for driving while ability impaired by drugs could be filed depending on the blood test results. For Middletown riders, the crash is a reminder that a properly licensed taxi should be traceable through the city’s police department, with credentials, records and medallion paperwork all part of the check that is supposed to keep unsafe drivers off the road.