Leicester taxi driver hit in face by rock hurled at cabA taxi driver has described the terrifying moment a rock was hurled through his window as he was driving.
Mohammed Patel was taking five people home from a night out at the University of Leicester campus when the apparently random attack happened in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Taxi driver Mohammed Patel who had a brick thrown through his windowThe 34-year-old was driving his black Hackney Carriage cab along Guildford Road, in Stoneygate, close to the junction with Knighton Grange Road, when a nearby gang thew the rock through his side window.
The glass shattered in his face.
Mr Patel, of Gipsy Lane, Leicester, said: "It broke the glass and hit me on the face.
"I lost control for a second and the car swerved, so I slammed the breaks on and shouted.
"It's the first time in my life that I've experienced something like this. It really does shock me – someone could've died."
After bringing the taxi to a stop, Mr Patel, and another taxi driver who witnessed the incident, gave chase and managed to apprehend one of the gang.
The man told Mr Patel the group were students and he knew who had thrown the rock. Police were called to the scene.
No-one has yet been charged over the attack.
Mr Patel, a father-of-four, returned home to his wife, who had a baby two months ago.
"I was sleeping next to my baby and I had tears in my eyes because I might not have come home that night at all.
"I said to my wife 'I want to grow old with this one'."
Mr Patel had been returning the party-goers, four women and one man, to their student accommodation at John Foster Hall, in Oadby, at about 3.25am.
He said: "They were really shocked and scared because it could have hit the back window and they could have got hurt."
The incident has badly affected Mr Patel, who said he was having flashbacks.
He has been unable to return to work since it happened and now feels uncomfortable driving his own car.
He said: "On Sunday as I was turning the corner near my house there were a few people standing nearby.
"I was scared they were going to throw something, it just gave me that shock again."
Yusuf Bhamjee, acting chairman of the Leicester Black Cab Association, said he was shocked but unsurprised by the attack.
He said: "It shouldn't happen but I've been in this business 10 years now and it's the most risky business I've ever been in. You have to be on your guard all the time.
"The police do advise us to be careful but I've heard about this sort of thing happening in other parts of the city, too."
A Leicestershire police spokesman said: "One man, aged 19, was arrested in connection with the incident but has since been released.
"Inquiries are ongoing and police would urge anyone with information to come forward."
Anyone with information should call police on the non-emergency number 101.
source: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Leicester-taxi-driver-hit-face-rock-hurled-car/story-13853231-detail/story.html
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