Taxi Driver Online

A Hackney cab driver has told of his lucky escape after his cab crashed into a sunken front garden missing a house by inches.

Driver Christopher Wildman desperately tried to get back into his cab as it started to roll towards the kitchen window of a house in Chesterfield Road, Laira. But he was only half way in when it dropped into the yard, flipped onto its side and trapped him by his foot.

He said: "It was really, really lucky. A lucky escape for me, lucky there was no one in the front garden and lucky it didn't go a lot further into the house."

Christopher Broadley, aged 15, was at home in the kitchen when he heard a loud crash outside his house.

"I ran to the front door and opened it and there was this taxi with the driver inside shouting for help," he said.

"The first thing he said to us was 'I'm sorry'."

The teenager called the emergency services, who were on the scene within 10 minutes and helped to free Mr Wildman from his cab.

Meanwhile Christopher's mother Kate Broadley returned home from work to find the upturned vehicle in her garden.

"I couldn't believe my eyes," she said.

"My flower beds are ruined and my fence is gone too, but I'm just glad the driver is OK."

Mr Wildman had just dropped off a fare and helpfully carried a pram to their doorstep when the accident happened at 5.30pm yesterday.

He said: "I stopped the cab, put the hand brake on, walked round the cab and lifted out a pram. The two lady passengers and a child left the vehicle and I took the pram down about four steps.

"I went back and as I was opening the driver's door the cab started moving. I started to get in to get my foot on the break but didn't get properly back in."

He added: "If I hadn't got in as far as I did it could have chopped my leg off."

It took fire crews from Greenbank Station just over an hour to secure the cab and remove it from the garden.

Watch commander Shaun Davis from Greenbank Fire Station said: "We got the driver out through the side window, which took around ten minutes.

"It's definitely an unusual incident. I haven't seen anything like it before."

He said the driver was rescued using hydraulic cutting equipment, small tools and a winch.

Mr Wildman was treated at the scene by paramedics but was unharmed. He said: "I would give the fire brigade and ambulance eleven out of ten."

The cab suffered a dented front bumper and small dent and scratch to driver's door.

Mrs Broadley is still assessing the damage to her garden.

I started to get in to get my foot on the break but didn't get properly back in."