A taxi driver ran from the scene of a five-car crash in Wirral this afternoon.
The Ford Mondeo, which had an Argyle Taxis car magnet on the door, was involved in the multi-vehicle pile up on Storeton Road, Oxton , at about 2.45pm.
Police say the driver fled the scene but was later detained and found to have a head injury so was being assessed by paramedics.
The taxi and a Vauxhall Astra van were badly damaged in the collision and had to be recovered by police after the incident.
A number of other stationary vehicles were also damaged.
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LIVERPOOL
A Delta passenger screamed at a cabbie to ‘f****** drive lad’ as he was brutally attacked by two men wielding a hammer and pliers.
On board cameras captured an unidentified man and 24-year-old Daniel Leith smashing a window on the cab and landing “sickening” blows on the passenger, who refused to speak to police.
Terrified private hire driver Michael Hesketh had been blocked in by Leith, who was driving a black Ford Focus, on Townsend Avenue in Walton, late on April 30.
Mr Hesketh’s passenger was struck to the head with the hammer, wielded by the unidentified man, and hit in the back by Leith, who was armed with pliers, before managing to escape on foot.
Leith, of Landford Avenue in Walton, was jailed for two years at Liverpool Crown Court today after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm, dangerous driving and possession of an offensive weapon.
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said Mr Hesketh had pulled into Stainburn Avenue to drop the victim off, when the Ford Focus began following him and flashing its headlights.
He said: “At this point the Ford Focus pulled in front of the taxi on Sedgemoor Road, near the junction with Townsend Avenue, and the front passenger door opened and a male got out of the vehicle with a hammer.
“The passenger in the taxi shouted at Mr Hesketh to reverse, which he did. The male stood on Sedgemoor Road with the hammer then got back into the Focus which reversed, following the taxi onto Townsend Avenue.”
Mr Blasbery played CCTV footage from the taxi, which showed the passenger shouting: “Don’t let them get you, reverse the f****** car lad.”
Mr Hesketh could be heard shouting: “I can’t he’s in the way.”
The footage showed the second suspect, who has not been traced, approach the rear of the taxi and smash the passenger window with the hammer, as Mr Hesketh shouted: ‘f****** hell’.
The passenger can be seen desperately trying to hold the door closed but the attacker pulled it open and launched a series of blows, one of which audibly connected with the back of his head.
Leith, who could be seen opening the boot of his Focus to retrieve the pliers, then opened the opposite door and launched at least two blows on the man before he managed to escape.
The footage continued, capturing the audibly terrified Mr Hesketh breathing heavily and telling his control room about the incident.
But his encounter with the attackers continued as they pull up to his car and say: “We’ll get you a new window, just no police.”
Mr Hesketh is offered £60 but replies: “That won’t be enough.
The men can be heard saying: “Give us your number you’ll have a new window tomorrow.”
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Durban – The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday threatened to shut the country down if Toyota – the manufacturers of the Toyota Quantum minibus preferred by government - didn't respond to their grievances within the next seven days.
The taxi operators brought traffic to a standstill on major Durban routes and surrounding areas on Wednesday morning while on their way to a Toyota plant in Prospecton, Isipingo.
They were protesting “over the escalating cost of the Toyota Quantum since it was introduced in the country 10 years ago”.
When it was introduced, it was at a fully imported price of R220 000. It is now however locally produced at R450 000 before interest which the industry feels is too expensive, Santaco said.
According to the organisation’s calculations, one Toyota Quantum costs more than R1m when the deposit, interest rate, instalments, premiums and insurance have been considered.
Santaco KZN chair Boy Zondi told News24 that they want Toyota to decrease the minibus price to R350 000.
“We also demand that Toyota stops supplying SA Taxi Finance with Toyota Quantums because of the high interest rate they charge us,” he said, adding that they suspect that banks, Toyota and SA Taxi Finance are colluding to cheat taxi operators.
Zondi said they gave the minibus manufacturer seven days to respond to their grievances.
“If they don’t respond, we will shut down the whole of South Africa,” he threatened.
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A Pendle taxi firm has been ordered to pay over £2,000 after hiring a known sex offender.
The Borough Council won an appeal to stop the operator from letting the the man work as a dispatcher.
The Borough Council won an appeal to stop the operator from letting the the man work as a dispatcher.
He was responsible taking bookings and sending out taxis to customers in that role while he was working for the firm.
The Crown and Greenline taxis' licence holder took that decision to Burnley Crown Court.
That appeal from Mohammed Sajid Khaliq was heard last Thursday (25th May) but it was unsuccessful and the company was ordered to pay £2,033.26 in court costs.
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