Taxi Driver Online

EVENING CHRONICLE (Newcastle, UK)

July 24, 2006 Monday

HEADLINE: Stone-attack cab avoids disaster

BYLINE: By Rob Kennedy, The Evening Chronicle

A shaken cabbie told of his terror after a school pupil smashed his windscreen by throwing stones at the car during his lunch break.

Taxi driver Steve Muckle was carrying three disabled passengers when the teen yob struck from the grounds of his Tyneside school. Mr Muckle had only just got his car on the road again after being involved in a horrific crash with a stolen car just weeks ago. Today he told of his shock and said the yob, from Churchill Community College, Wallsend, could have caused a serious crash if he had hit a less experienced driver.

Mr Muckle, 41, of North Shields, said: "I was driving past the school and I just heard a loud bang and the windscreen cracked. "They were in the grounds of the college and I saw them running away afterwards so I went into the college to find them. "If it had been an old person driving they would have crashed because it was a hell of a bang. It could have caused a really serious accident.

"I was left quite shocked by it and my three disabled passengers were all quite shaken as well. Mr Muckle's Peugeot taxi was hit as he drove up Churchill Street, Wallsend, last week.

A boy has been arrested by police and bailed pending further inquiries. Mr Muckle said: "The annoying thing is I've only just got the car back on the road after a serious crash a few weeks ago. "The college were really helpful and said they would look at CCTV and we identified them and one of them was arrested." A spokesman for North Tyneside Council said: "A student was interviewed by police last week in connection with an incident in which a car windscreen was cracked.

"The student is back at college and the police investigation is continuing."

Mr Muckle, father of three and step-dad of one, has been a taxi driver for 11 years
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