SAN DIEGO STINGAREE CABDRIVER IDENTIFIED

- PHOTO COURTESY OF SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

Sam Hassan Daly

Even if no criminal charges or citations are filed against cabdriver Sam Hassan Daly, his taxi license could be suspended or revoked depending on the outcome of the joint investigation by San Diego police, the Metropolitan Transit System and the Sheriff’s Department, which permits drivers.

Daly, 52, has been licensed to drive taxis since Dec. 1, 2003, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Drivers must submit fingerprints, be cleared through U.S. immigration officials, pass a driving test, have a good driving record and pass an annual drug test, said sheriff’s licensing manager Blanca Pelowitz.

Investigators are looking into the possibility that Daly fell asleep or blacked out when he slowly drove an Emerald Cab into a crowd of people outside the Stinagree nightclub at Sixth and Island avenues about 1:50 a.m. Saturday.

San Diego police Lt. Rick O’Hanlon said it was too early to speculate if the criminal charges or citations would be issued in the case, although it appears so far to be “an unfortunate accident.”

Daly, who suffered a broken nose either from the accident or from the fight that followed as people in the crowd pulled him from the car, remained hospitalized for facial injuries Tuesday.

Police are processing evidence seized from Daly’s Clairemont home, including medication, an iPhone, Police are processing evidence seized from Daly’s Clairemont home, including medication, an iPhone, cameras, a laptop computer, thumbdrives and Arabic writings, according to a search warrant obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune.