Bendigo's Scott Robbins and Kate Fuller caught in the middle of New York City cab crash

The physiotherapist and nurse put their medical training to the test after their coffee date in New York City was abruptly ended by a yellow taxi cab plowing into a group of pedestrians on June 20.

And while Kate walked away with some scratches and bruises herself after being struck by the cab, Scott leapt to the aid of multiple victims, ultimately saving their lives.

After a difficult two years in the health profession, the couple booked a two-week trip to New York, hoping to leave the stress of scrubs and COVID-swabs behind for even a little while.

"We just wanted a holiday, I've been wanting to go to the US for a long time so it was good to finally have time to do it," Kate said.

"I'd planned a trip prior to COVID, but obviously that couldn't happen, so when this opportunity came up, we couldn't say no."

The couple spent a few days in Singapore on the way to the States before spending the better part of two weeks exploring everything the 'Big Apple' had to offer.

And it was a love for "decent tasting coffee" that lead them to a cafe situated near the intersection of Broadway and 29^th Street on the final day of their holiday.

"We'd probably been there maybe four times throughout our stay because anyone who has travelled to America knows how hard it is to find good coffee," Scott said.

"We had checked out of our hotel at about 11am that Monday morning and wanted to kill some time before our flight so we went back to have a nice breakfast.

"I think we spent about an hour there and I remember Kate telling me 'come on, let's go and do something else', but I told her we should stay and just people watch for a bit."

Suddenly, a yellow taxi cab collided with a cyclist before "jumping the curb" and pinning at least three people under the car.

Scott said he will never forget the sounds that were made as the car came towards them.

"As cyclist, you know what a bike along the ground under a car sounds like," he said.

"I remember hearing that sound and automatically jumped up from my seat to see what was going on."

According to CBS News New York, six people were hurt and three suffered minor injuries in the accident, one of them being Kate.

"It just happened in slow motion," she said.

"Luckily Scott had jumped up because otherwise he would have been in the path of the taxi.

Kate said it was difficult to determine whether the taxi driver was going to pull away again after hitting the people against the wall.

"I stayed where I was knowing I was going to get hit, but I knew that in that position I wasn't going to go under the wheels," she said.

"I knew I was okay, I landed on my sacrum bone and that's been very sore since, and I've had a lot of bruises come up on my legs, but I'm fine."

After Scott had made sure Kate was okay, he then rushed to the side of the women who had apparent injuries.

His 18 years of working in the Bendigo Health emergency department, and his recent Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) training, helped him deliver care to those that needed it.

"We did a lot of scenario based training in the Northern Territory during that training and you learn how to give aid in a foreign country," he said.

"So that really came in handy in New York that day."

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Scott left his partner, knowing she was alert and alive, to assist a woman who's legs had been pinned under the vehicle and was exhibiting physical signs of trauma.

"Thankfully the cab wasn't moving very quickly," he said.

"I got up and walked around the car and I really don't remember a lot of what happened then, but suddenly I was down beside the taxi making the initial assessment.

"Part of those trainings we did was to walk into the disaster and see what needs to be done. The philosophy is that you do the most for the most and that's what I tried to do."

Scott said he saw "a girl squashed into the corner in front of the taxi between the car and the building".

"From memory, she had space and she was okay," he said.

"I then turned my attention to the woman that was under the front-left tyre with her head and torso exposed.

"And this other girl, Daniella, was a crumpled mess against the wall."

Scott said Daniella's injuries were the most severe with his initial assessment determining a broken ankle, but he would soon discover there was more to the scene.

"I could see a large wound on the first woman's leg, but because it wasn't hemorrhaging, I knew she would be okay," he said.

"Whereas I could see Daniella had a fractured ankle and the two bones sticking out and knew it wasn't good.

"But it wasn't until she moved that I could see her other leg was no longer attached.

"Luckily I'd dealt with this sort of thing at work a bit, but nothing like this."

Scott called to the bystanders that had soon gathered around the scene, asking for a belt to try and stop some of the bleeding.

Thankfully, he along with others were able to give the women enough roadside treatment to last until the paramedics and other emergency crews arrived on scene.

"There were a lot of us who weren't from New York, or even the country, who were there to help and I think we all collectively agreed we were ready to go home after that," Scott said.

After making sure the women had been taken off scene safely, the couple were reunited and began the sombre and sobering journey back to Australia.

"It was a long trip home," Kate said.

"We then tested positive to COVID-19 when we got back so had to go through a week of isolation as soon as we got home.

"I'm glad I had Scott with me because I don't think I would have been able to go through all of that alone and then sit in a house by myself.

"There have been times when I just haven't been okay since, but we're lucky to be alive."

The couple said after reading the news from over in the US, they wanted to get in touch with Daniella to see how she had been since the accident.

"She wrote in a story saying she wanted to meet the man who had saved her life, so that made us even more determined to find her," Kate said.

And while she was not able to save her leg, Scott said Daniella was looking forward to seeing her family.

He said while training had helped him through that scenario, he would bring a new outlook on life back home in Bendigo.

"I don't think it will make me change the way I practice, but it's nice to know how you will react in a situation like that," he said.

"If definitely gives you a lot of perspective though and makes you realise how lucky you truly are."