Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver admits accidentally dragging 'distraught' four-year-old girl alongside his moving vehicle



A SEVENOAKS taxi driver faces being stripped of his licence after an incident where a ‘distraught’ four-year-old girl was allegedly dragged along the ground by his vehicle as he drove off.

Frank Van Sertima admits pulling off without all passengers safely on board, causing the toddler to be dragged along for more than a metre.

The child’s mother, Lindsey James, said she had sat her eldest child, 8, in the front passenger’s seat before putting her youngest, 2, in the back seat behind the driver.

As she sat herself in the middle, she then turned to lift the four-year-old into the car and as she grabbed her arms, the driver began to pull away despite cries from the child’s mother to stop.


“At this point I asked him to stop a number of times, three or four, when he didn’t I shouted to him that she wasn’t in the car, at which point he stopped,” said Ms James, in a complaint to Sevenoaks District Council, with whom Mr Van Sertima is registered.

“By this time all three of my children were clearly very shaken and my four-year-old was totally distraught. All the driver said was that he was not aware she wasn’t in the car.”

The mother claims she was “exceptionally lucky” the rear passenger side door did not hit something and crush her daughter or that her daughter did not get run over.

“My daughter is now terrified of cars, as is my youngest,” she added.

The incident occurred as Mr Van Sertima, a council-licensed hackney carriage driver, picked up the fare in the supermarket car park on April 24 and agreed to take the family to Farningham.

The driver admitted an error in judgement but claims the three children were being “very boisterous” and the subsequent “verbal tirade” the mother launched on them contributed to the incident.

“In all of the confusion and the charged environment of my taxi, I was sure all passengers were aboard,” he added.

After viewing the CCTV footage of the incident, I was horrified to see that I had moved off without one of the children and that I had mistakenly assumed that it had been safe to pull away.

I can only explain this as a poor error of judgement, enhanced by the events leading up to me pulling away.”

Mr Van Sertima faces having his Hackney carriage drivers licence suspended for a period of three months and having to re-take the practical driving test when he appears in front of SDC for a licece review on September 1.

Joanna McCarthy, from West Kingsdown, provided Mr Van Sertima with a character reference, saying: “We have been using Mr Van Sertima as a taxi driver for the past six years.

“We have always found Mr Van Sertima to be personable, thoroughly reliable, punctual and honest. We have entrusted him to be in sole charge of our children picking them up from school and from late-night functions.

“We would have no hesitation in recommending him as a taxi driver.”


Read more: http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/Tax ... z3BUu51WyP

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Must've been a hell of slow speed or a bloody long meter to make those requests in such a short time.

I'm sure a Compo claim would help smooth over the children's car phobia, she should get on the case ASAP.

Have to wonder why she didn't strap the kid in first before she got in herself?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Did the door not beep then? to say it was open or what

The driver was at fault, but many of us have been there.

However mum looks like she is already planning her next holiday.

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IDFIMH

Taxi driver stripped of license


A taxi driver has been stripped of his licence for three months after driving off with a four-year-old girl hanging out of his cab.

The district council has also ordered Frank Van Sertima to retake his taxi licence before returning to the job following the incident on April 24.

The licensing sub committee heard Mr Van Sertima, who was not present at last Monday’s hearing, had met Lindsey James and her three children in the car park of Asda in Swanley and had agreed to take them to Farningham on April 24.

However, before the family were all safely in the car, he drove off.

The girl, who is said to have been left traumatised by the ordeal, was then dragged as her mother held onto her.

And the committee’s chairman Alan Pett said Mr Van had not conducted himself in a way that met the standards expected of a holder of a Sevenoaks District Council Hackney Carriage drivers’ licence.

Frank Van Sertima admits pulling off without all passengers safely on board, causing the toddler to be dragged along for more than a metre.

Ms James said she had sat her eldest child, 8, in the front passenger’s seat before putting her youngest, 2, in the back seat behind the driver.

As she sat herself in the middle, she then turned to lift the four-year-old into the car and as she grabbed her arms, the driver began to pull away despite cries from the child’s mother to stop.

“At this point I asked him to stop a number of times, three or four, when he didn’t I shouted to him that she wasn’t in the car, at which point he stopped,” said Ms James, in a complaint to Sevenoaks District Council, with whom Mr Van Sertima is registered.

“By this time all three of my children were clearly very shaken and my four-year-old was totally distraught. All the driver said was that he was not aware she wasn’t in the car.”

The mother claims she was “exceptionally lucky” the rear passenger side door did not hit something and crush her daughter or that her daughter did not get run over.

“My daughter is now terrified of cars, as is my youngest,” she added.

Read more: http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/Sev ... z3DDHVrDp1

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Not sure they can do that.

They can revoke his license, but can't say come back in three months.

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IDFIMH

How quick can she say stop four times and then shout 'shes not in the car' for it to only travel about a metre ? Or the car could have been travelling very slowly.Mmmm Didn't exactly drive off, more like started to pull away and then stopped.