Taxi Driver Online

UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Oxfordshire

October 30, 2006 Monday

HEADLINE: We just want some answers

BYLINE: Maddy Biddulph

DATELINE: Oxford Mail

A heartbroken mother whose 29-year-old son was killed after being hit by a car faces an 18-month wait until an inquest is held into his death.

Father-of-one Mr Oliver, a painter and decorator from Marston Road, was hit by a car in Headington's London Road at 1am on June 4. Mrs Cherrill said: "I'm heartbroken. I feel that the day Anthony died, I died inside. I will take this to my grave.

"Some of us got to the hospital too late. I keep thinking about him lying on that bed.

Although the family know Mr Oliver, a former Cheney School pupil and Marston Saints footballer, was struck by a car driven by an off-duty taxi-driver, they do not know exactly what happened.

Sister Lisa Oliver, 35, of Mortimer Road, Rose Hill, said: "We have to wait between 12 and 18 months. It makes me absolutely disgusted and angry. "We need some closure. We are just stuck in time and everyone else is getting on with their life.

"When I last saw him he was in that hospital bed. I can't get that out of my head. I got to the hospital two minutes too late. "That last picture of him haunts me, I see it when I get up and when I go to bed.

"It's like a living night- mare."

Brother Mark Oliver, 33, from Coverley Road, Headington, was with Mr Oliver until 10.30pm on the night he died, watching England play Jamaica in the Chequers pub. He said: "Basically we just want some answers."

Mr Oliver's fiance Jo Nicolson, 32, from Lambton Close, Cowley, said her three-year-old daughter Lauren was finding it hard to come to terms with her father's death.

She said: "Anthony was very popular, the church was packed out with people standing at his funeral. He was very sociable. He was a brilliant dad. "Lauren's very angry, she's trying to hit out. She was a daddy's girl. I need to explain to her - I can't just say we don't know."

A man has been charged with careless driving and offences relating to his car at the time of the accident - although experts found that these defects did not contribute to the accident or to Mr Anthony's death.
.................................................................

Obviously this is a terrible situation and I feel heartily sorry for the bereaved ................... I do not understand though why the driver was referred to as an "off duty taxi driver" when that has no real relevance.

B. Lucky

_________________
"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

I apologise for replying without having all the facts - but the "off - duty Taxi driver" bit got to me! Would the same have been said if it were someone of a differing profession? I feel for the family and send my heartfelt condolences but the driver and his family are in need of support as well - especially until all the details are available; especially given the time of the accident!

What are the press saying - that it was a Cabbie not working and just using his/her car and maybe on the way home - or someone in a "normal" car who happens to work as a Cabbie - or are they just looking for headlines? Or is this just the normal case of mention Taxi in a headline and you score the front page? Sorry this is my own personal feelings and in no way refelcts from the tragedy that has occured.

The Taxi Trade as a whole tries to betray itself as a profession, when you do this you must expect people from the outside looking in to view the trade as professional drivers, so therefore it is understandable when they make the comparison.... such as a off-duty Taxi Driver involved in road traffic accident

_________________
Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

If it had been an off duty policeman I think it would have been highlighted as such. I can think of several other professions that might also fit the off duty profile?

Regards

JD

I suspect it was highlighted because he was...err...driving when the accident happened.

Ie the fact that someone drives for a living makes it noteworthy if he/she are in a driving accident, even when they're not driving professionaly.

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

I guess thats about right

CC

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

from what i know the guy walked in to the path of the vehicle, obviously the family wants to know what really happened