Musician, marathoner hit by cab

THE MUSIC INN in Greenwich Village will be down a trumpet player during openmic night this week after the death of Leo Schonhaut, a neighborhood staple who was fatally struck by a taxi.

Schonhaut, 87, rarely missed the weekly jam session — often performing original music.

He ran marathons well into his 80s and climbed the stairs to his five-story walkup without help.

On Sunday night, the beloved man who was known as a “mensch” was hit by a yellow cab.

The driver was headed south on Cooper Square near E. Fifth St. about 9 p.m. Schonhaut was in the crosswalk, but the driver had the light, police said.

The 45-year-old driver, who remained at the scene, wasn’t charged.

Emergency workers rushed Schonhaut to Bellevue Hospital, where he died.

“I’ve seen him every day forever,” James Eden, 54, said of his octogenarian neighbor.

He lived in the area for at least 40 years.

“Leo comes and sweeps the sidewalk outside the store,” said Jeff Slatnick, 72, owner of the Music Inn, which is on W. Fourth St., down the block from Schonhaut’s home.

“He’s a neighborhood guy. He’d sit out front of the store and play chess.”

Schonhaut’s friends at the Music Inn were stunned and saddened to hear about the passing of a man who — despite having no children — was a grandfather figure to many.

“He was kind of like a Smurf,” said a man who identified himself as “Hippie” Lou.

Despite his age, the whitebearded Schonhaut kept very active.

“He was in great shape — he won several New York marathons for his age group,” Slatnick said. “Leo made these kale smoothies. He ate very organic.”

In 2009, Schonhaut placed fifth in his age group in the New York Road Runners “Run for Central Park,” a 4-mile race, according to the group’s website.

He was the 2011 New York Road Runners runner of the year for those 80 and older.

“He would sweep the sidewalks like he was running a marathon,” Lou said. “It was like meditation for him. He was a mensch.”

Police have investigated the deaths of 47 pedestrians struck by vehicles this year, according to NYPD data through Sunday. That’s a 30% drop from the same time period last year, when 67 were killed.

Customers at the Music Inn remembered Schonhaut fondly.

“He came to our open-mic nights on Thursdays to play trumpet,” Slatnick said. “He’d sing, too — songs he’d written.”

On Thursday, open-mic night will be down one mensch and the event will held in his honor.