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August 9, 2007 Thursday
Taxi tried to run me over
Nicola Fenn
Echo
A TAXI driver allegedly tried to knock down a woman in his car after she refused to pay a £3.50 fare because he was driving dangerously.
Leeanne Webber, 24, of Hudson Crescent, Southend, said she and her three children got into the hackney carriage outside the Royals shopping centre.
But before long, she asked the man to pull over, in Chichester Road, because she was uncomfortable with his driving.
She claimed the man was reading a map while driving and, at one point, swerved on to the wrong side of the road.
However, when she refused to pay the fare, Miss Webber claims the cabbie, who she believed to be eastern European, started demanding money and became aggressive.
He then allegedly jumped back into his cab and mounted the pavement to try to knock down Miss Webber and her children - Jade, five, Jayme, four, and Lennie, eight months. She said: "He had a map in his face and I was worried about our safety, so I asked him to stop.
"It was horrible, especially because my kids were absolutely terrified - he scared the life out of them.
"He just missed my son when he mounted the kerb. I managed to pull him out of the way of the car, otherwise he would have hit him."
Police and Southend Council have been informed of the incident and are now investigating. Carl Robinson, Southend Council's team manager for trading standards, said: "Following the alleged incident, we are liaising with the police to determine what course of action should be taken.
"Any report such as this is taken seriously, and every effort will be made to find out exactly what happened."
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call Southend police on 01702 431212.
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