The confrontation unfolded on camera. The cabbie, who was the victim of a fender-bender, wants insurance information from a young man behind the wheel of the black SUV. But he won't get out of the car because it's not his car. It's been stolen. And the fed up cabbie says enough of this street dance.
The driver of the SUV, identified as 19-year-old Kenzell Lesure of Chicago, next throws it into reverse. He will hit four cars before speeding off. The home shot video achieved levels of popularity on the internet with a multitude of comments, many meant to be funny. But none of them are funny for the real owner of the black SUV.
"It's disgusting. What are you gonna do. It's a hard life we live," said Bob Ciesla, owner of stolen SUV.
Bob Ciesla is disabled after beating cancer as a teenager, and his dad is a stroke survivor. Their six-year-old Nissan-- which was totaled-- was their means of transportation, and their source of income. They used it to deliver pizzas for an Andersonville restaurant. They had only basic liability insurance on the vehicle.
"'Cause I couldn't afford full coverage anymore, and I know it's the worst thing I could ever have done, but I couldn't afford it," said Ciesla.
The vehicle was stolen from Ciesla's driveway October 30, and its drivable life ended a few hours later when it hit this tree. The young driver was arrested a short distance away.
Police say they had originally sought felony charges against Kenzell Lesure, but they wound up charging him with six misdemeanors, including leaving the scene of an accident and aggravated assault.
"Everybody's a victim in this. All the other people he hit," said Ciesla.
That includes the cabbie who is losing income with his cab out of commission, and a big deductible staring him in the face. He doesn't think the video is funny either.
