Taxi Driver Online

Seven-year-old in fire engine party drama
Dec 14 2005

Gerry Holt, South Wales Echo

A seven-year-old girl fell from a hired fire engine onto a busy city road.

Ffion Gaylard was celebrating a friend's fifth birthday with a ride in a pretend fire engine but as it drove along the doors swung open throwing her into the path of busy traffic.

Her family say she might have been killed if it hadn't been for the driver of the car behind who slammed on her brakes and jumped out to help Ffion to safety.

Ffion, who has severely bruised her knees, ribs and head, and pulled muscles in her neck and arms after hanging onto the door, is now recovering at home.

Dad Derrick, 39, an electrician of Tyn-y-Parc, Whitchurch, Cardiff, said: 'The doors just swung open and she held on to them for a short time then fell into the road. We were so lucky that it wasn't much worse. We are worried that if another child falls out they might not be quite as lucky as Ffion.

'I'm told there were no seatbelts onboard and I called the company and asked them if there were any child safety locks and they said 'no they are not fitted with child locks but we made that aware in the contract' - but we had no contract.'

Mum Anita, 36, a dinner lady at Whitchurch School, said: 'I dread to think what could've happened, it doesn't bear thinking about. I don't think she would be here today. If children are travelling there should be child locks and seat belts. It's got to be stopped - it needs to be looked into now.'

Mrs Gaylard's niece Natalie paid Five Star Limousines, of Caerphilly, about £90 to hire the fire engine as a novel way to celebrate son Dylan's birthday - but the Sunday outing nearly turned to tragedy as little Ffion was thrown out of the fire engine on Cathedral Road, Cardiff.

Natalie, 28, who was supervising the eight children, said: 'Ffion was just hanging on for her life.

'I screamed 'the door's open' and tried to grab her but she fell to the floor and the force pushed her into the middle of the road. The children were very upset.'

The family are considering legal action against the firm.

If you are the woman who stopped to help Ffion or know who she is, please contact Gerry Holt on 029 2058 3722.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Part of me wants to say "we [edited by admin] told you so", but as a little one was hurt, I wont.

Let's hope that as many people as possible read this tale, and blank those [edited by admin] things.

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IDFIMH