JANUARY 2009
PRIVATE HIRE AND TAXI MONTHLY HERO OF THE YEAR SEPTEMBER
YORK CABBIE RESCUES ELDERLY COUPLE FROM BURING CAR
A quick-thinking driver told how he pulled an eld- erly couple from their burning car, moments before it exploded in a ball of flames.
Adrenalin kicked in when Charles Whitaker saw an oncoming silver Alfa Romeo 147 and the red Daewoo in front of him collide, causing the Dae- woo to burst into flames. The collision happened in Towthorpe Lane, near Strensall, at 12.20pm on the 21 August.
Charles, 37, leapt from his car, telling his 11-year-old son Henry to stay back and phone for help. He then pulled the elderly, uncon- scious driver to safety before rescuing the man’s wife. Investigating TC Paul Stamp, commended Charles’s bravery, saying his actions saved the cou-
ples lives.
“He was incredibly brave,’’ he said. “Considering how burned the vehicles were, had they been trapped inside it would have been potentially fatal.” Charles told the York Press: “The car came round the corner side- ways on towards us and ploughed into the car in front. It immediately burst into flames.
“Henry rang his mum and asked her to phone the ambulance. He was a bit shaken but did very well. I was proud of him. “I ran to the driver’s door first, there were flames coming out from under the bonnet and dashboard into the footwell. There was black acrid smoke inside. I undid his seat- belt, pulled the chap out and laid him by the grass
DECEMBER OAPS PRAISE PRESTONPANS TAXI BOSS
The boss of a Preston- pans taxi firm came to the rescue of pensioners stuck at home, when a minibus driver called in sick. TT
Taxi owner Tony Mohan reshuffled his morning jobs on a recent Wednesday to drive Har- lawhill Day Centre’s minibus and pick up clients. And what’s more, he didn’t charge a single penny.
There were 14 clients awaiting transport to the centre - six of them in wheelchairs.
DECEMBER
A taxi driver got a bit more than he bargained for when his fare gave birth to a baby girl in the back of his cab, as reported in the West- morland Gazette. When Nicola Moore, from Bur- neside went into labour on Saturday night, she never expected it to be over before she even arrived at the hospital, but little baby Evie had different ideas.
Clearly not a girl who likes to be kept waiting, the 6lb 11oz youngster made her grand entrance in the back of a Blue Star taxi.
“It all happened really quickly,” said Miss Moore. “We were on the way to the hospital. My waters broke on Stra-
Fiona Hunter, day care centre manager, said she expected to have to pay around £40 for taxis. She told the East Lothian Courier: “It really shows it’s not always about money and people are willing to carry out good deeds. “Tony and his wife are well known in Preston- pans for their generosity and it’s great to see it in the community.” After she called TT Taxis, Tony arrived and insisted he drive their minibus around the town instead
of charging them for the cost of taxis. Tony refused to accept any money for his servic- es and was able to pick up the clients in time for the planned entertain- ment that afternoon. He said: “The community has supported us immensely and it was an opportunity to help out and give something back. “We are just a small com- pany in Prestonpans and we get an awful lot of sup- port it was just a pleasure to help them out.”
verge then went back for his wife. The fire was quite bad and the seat-belt buckle was very hot.” With help from the shocked Alfa Romeo driv- er, thought to be in his 20s, they carried the woman to safety.
“She was very upset and seemed to be unwell,” said Charles, a self-employed hackney carriage driver for Station Taxis in York. Charles said he did not have time to think about what he was doing. An ambulance service spokeswoman confirmed two elderly patients were taken to York Hospital, including a woman with abdominal injuries and a man with a broken wrist. A witness who works at the Farmer’s Cart described Charles as “the hero of the day”.
DECEMBER HEART VICTIM SAVED BY POOLE CABBIE
A cabbie with no med- ical training kept alive a passenger who had a heart attack - by doing chest compressions until paramedics arrived.
The Scottish Sun reports that cool-head- ed Stuart Smith, 39, dialled 999 and followed
DECEMBER
instructions after Aiden Smith, 22, a kidney transplant patient with a history of numerous health problems, suf- fered the cardiac arrest. Dad-of-one Stuart, who works and lives in Poole, Dorset, said: “He had some sort of fit or seizure and
stopped breathing. “The lady on the phone told me how to do chest compressions. I was shaken up when the reality hit me, but luckily the chap sur- vived.”
Aiden thanked Stuart when he visited him in Hospital.
IT’S GAME ON AS REECE
GETS HIS NINTENDO RETURNED BY KINDLY BATLEY CABBIE
When a seven-year- old Gomersal boy left his Nintendo games console in the back of a taxi over a month ago he thought he’d seen the last of it. To the astonishment of Reece Buckland and his parents it was returned.
Reece’s dad Steve told the Spenborough Guardian: We’d given up hope of him see- ing it again. But on Saturday while we were all out someone came and handed it over to one of our neighbours, who brought it round when we got home. It was a real shock.” Reece had left his Nin- tendo DS and several games in the back of a hackney carriage which took him and his mum and dad home from Batley.
It wasn’t until the next morning that they realised what had happened and con- tacted taxi firms to see if any one had found it. Three weeks on they had still heard nothing. “We just assumed that someone had found it and taken it and that was that,” said Steve. “Reece was gutted. But it looks like someone saw the story in the
paper and that’s why he got it back.” “None of this would have been possible without the Spenbor- ough Guardian and we can’t thank them enough.
PHTM says... well done to the kindly cabbie, who after seeing the story in the paper, returned the Nintendo games console in his own time and at his own expense.
‘EXTRA FARE’ EVIE ARRIVES IN BACK OF KENDAL TAXI!!
strange lifts,” he said. “I got a call through on my radio at about 12.05pm from the operator, who told me to go to Burne- side straight away as there was an emergency – a pregnant woman had gone into labour.”
Kendal taxi driver Keith Harrison holds baby Evie as proud dad Stephen Miller looks on. Picture courtesy of the Westmorland Gazette
mongate and the next thing I knew she was here.” Taxi driver Keith Harrison from Milnthorpe, who has worked for the Kendal-based firm for five years, was also a lit- tle surprised at the turn
of events, but neverthe- less, he kept his cool and both mother and daugher arrived at West- morland General Hospital safe and sound. “Nothing like this has happened before and I have picked up all sorts of
Mr Harrison described how Miss Moore’s mother, who had been waiting at the end of the road, directed him to her daughter’s home, which she shares with her partner Steven Miller. “At first we could not get her into the cab as she was having contrac- tions,” he said. “When we finally did she was screaming in agony, but her partner was with her and all I could do was
keep going and get her to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible.” As they made their way through Kendal, however, Mr Harrison realised that another passenger had joined them in the taxi. “We were driving down Aynam Road and I heard her say it’s com- ing, it’s coming,” Mr Harrison said. “I thought to myself, it can’t be, and just concentrated on getting to the hospi- tal, but when we drove past the leisure centre she said it again and the next thing I heard was a baby crying.”
Meanwhile, in the back of the taxi, the couple were panicking. “It was scary,” said Miss Moore. “I was panicking
because there was nobody there who knew what they were doing.” Luckily,
they soon
arrived at the hospital and Mr Harrison raced off to find help, turning the car heating up as high as he could to keep the baby warm. “Keith was absolutely brilliant,” said Mr Miller. “He stayed calm the whole time and he brought round a card and some flowers the next day. We are really grateful.”
Miss Moore, Mr Miller and baby Evie are now back home, where little Evie has been wel- comed by her bothers, ten-year-old Ben and Ryleigh, who is 16 months.
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