By Plymouth Herald | Posted: September 09, 2015
A SLEEPY policeman has left a female taxi driver 'frightened to drive' after he went through a red light and smashed into her cab.
Police have revealed the officer involved had been "called out of bed" to attend an incident in the early hours of the morning when he confused a green traffic light arrow for his own lane's light on Union Street.
He crashed into Lynda Austin's Mercedes people carrier as a result, and the taxi driver of 15 years says the incident has left her too scared to go back to work.
"This is my livelihood," said the 61-year-old, who is from Plymouth but lives in Looe with her husband, Anthony, also a taxi driver, "but they haven't even apologised.
"My cab is a write-off, and personally I can't even get into a car. I'm too drive frightened to drive."
Lynda was driving towards the Union Rooms on Sunday, August 9 at about 2am when the collision happened.
She described how she was travelling at "no more than 25mph" and had just gone through a green light when she was hit on the driver's side of the cab.
"Next thing I know my air bag went off and I'd gone into the railing and traffic lights," she said.
"Someone came running over saying I needed to get out of the cab as they saw smoke, but it was just dust from the air bag. Luckily I didn't have any passengers in the car."
Lynda sustained multiple injuries in the crash.
She is yet to receive the results of her X-ray, which will reveal if she has any cracked ribs, but says she also bumped her head, has back pain, bruised her knees and hurt her chin where it hit the air bag.
She explained: "Seven police cars came to the scene, one ambulance, a marked Range Rover and the fire brigade.
"A policewoman took my statement and another policeman told me do to a breath test, but I couldn't because I was so winded."
After failing three times due to lack of air, Lynda was checked over by a paramedic. She then took a breath test again and passed.
"Obviously I passed. I'm a taxi driver, I'm not going to be drinking on duty."
She added: "They asked me if I wanted to prosecute and I was thinking 'yes' straight away. But I just wanted to make sure I got an apology, which I haven't had. I've heard nothing from the police."
When contacted by The Herald, a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the officer ran a red light.
The spokesman said: "The officer, having just been called out of bed to attend an incident as a negotiator, confused the green filter for the green signal. He was not in response mode.
"The investigation is complete. The victim has been consulted and the officer has undertaken an internal driver alertness course as an alternative to prosecution."
Lynda said: "It's not fair. I don't know if I'll be able to go back to work again. I panic just sitting in the driving seat of my car. "I feel like I've been made to feel I've done something wrong, but I'm the victim."
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http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Sleepy- ... z3lHD2yYMx
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