Driver crashes taxi after hearing threatBy Noah Haglund (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The Post and Courier John Winbush handed over his cash and his watch. When he heard one of the two back-seat passengers telling the other to shoot him, he did the only thing that came to mind: He stomped on the gas pedal, made a hard left turn and veered toward an abandoned house. "I was trying to turn enough to shake them loose," said Winbush on the morning after the incident in the Dorchester-Waylyn subdivision of North Charleston. "There was no fear there. All you can do is think, 'How can I reverse this situation?' " The car slid into the house. The two young men in the back hopped out of a back door and ran down the street. Winbush, 51, a driver for Yellow Cab, raced after them until it occurred him that he was unarmed, and it was probably better to stop. Minutes after his call around 9 p.m. Tuesday, North Charleston police scoured the area. They had no arrests to report Wednesday. By morning light, the single-story cinder block house the cabbie hit at 2022 Atlas St. had a large hole in the right front corner. Police were looking into similarities with other robberies, including one the night before, said Spencer Pryor, public information officer for North Charleston police. The story from Monday has some interesting parallels. The driver, also with Yellow Cab, told police he picked up two young men at Montague and Mixon avenues shortly after 9 p.m., according to a police report. They asked to go to Ferrara Drive in the Dorchester-Waylyn area, but changed their minds. When the driver reached the new destination, a dead end of Corder Street near Orangeburg Street, he heard what sounded like a gun cocking, the report said. The passengers took his cash, got out and ran toward Rivers Avenue. In a third case on Aug. 12, a driver with North Area taxi was held up by two men on Ferrara Drive. The description in the police reports is vague, though two of the drivers described the robbers as young, one shorter with a dark complexion, and the other taller and slimmer with a light complexion. Few cabs in the Charleston area have security equipment such as cameras or safety dividers that are standard in larger cities. Winbush said he was angry that nobody from his company told him about the robbery the night before. An operator at Yellow Cab said on Wednesday that the company's vice president, the only person available to comment on the robberies, would not be available until today. Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com |
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Comments
This article has 19 comment(s)
Posted by sgtpsycho on August 21, 2008 at 5:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ol' psycho suggests cabbies carry "The Judge" available at any local specialty store. It can fire a .45 Long Colt or a .410 shotshell. Don't lose your hard earned cash! You will also be saving tax dollars you can give to Tire Gauge Man after November which would otherwise be wasted housing useless crackheads.
Posted by moonpie on August 21, 2008 at 6:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mooncalf it didn't say they were black only "darker complexion" and a "light complexion" but it is assumed unfortunately. Just the P&C being pc you know. But I agree if I was driving a cab I wouldn't either. Even before this happened.
Posted by charlene68 on August 21, 2008 at 7:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I personally would'nt send a cab to that subdivision, let them walk or find another way !!!!
Posted by BerkeleyCo_Mom_of_3 on August 21, 2008 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If I was a cab driver, I'd be carrying...conceal and carry permit. Of course, I'd never be a cab driver...too many issues there.
Posted by ysillyme on August 21, 2008 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
mooncalf~
I totally agree w/ u it is better to prevent a high risk encounter than trying to repulse it, but don't you admire the cab driver for fighting back the only way he could?
Posted by ysillyme on August 21, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
#1~
An armed cab driver is not only smart, his fares seem to be much more polite.
Posted by crankyyankee on August 21, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is the thanks one gets for trying to help the so called poor!
Posted by RTC on August 21, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Cab companies can refuse service to certain areas. It is their right to do so. Unfortunately, many companies don't care where they send their drivers, because it's all about making money to them. This holds true for food delivery drivers also.
Posted by sc4peace on August 21, 2008 at 9:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good for him- he fought back...now for all those opposed to gun rights- this cabbie could have had prevented two thugs from ever walking the street...instead they are free to walk around and rob more people..yay
Posted by ms_lady2u on August 21, 2008 at 10:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There's no protection down here for cab-drivers, I personally think they should be able to carry concealed weapons.The job is way to dangerous, everyday cab-drivers are on the line of duty!
Posted by sc4peace on August 21, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ms_lady2u- I completely agree- I think a lot of law-abiding citizens without criminal records, should be able to carry them as well- to protect themselves from aholes like these guys- it's not fair they can walk the streets and shoot us for our hard-earned stuff that they are too lazy to buy- stealing has to be my pet peeve- thieves deserve their hands cut off- like in Aladdin :)
Posted by BerkeleyCo_Mom_of_3 on August 21, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
EASY SOLUTION...GLOCK 33!
Posted by frankfurter on August 21, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
HEY I THINK ITS ABOUT TIME TO PUT BULLET PROOF WINDOW DEVIDERS BETWEEN DRIVER & PASSENGER WHERE THE DRIVER OPENS & LOOKS THE DOOR FROM THE FRONT. AFTER HIS MONEY IS STUCK THROUGH ALITTLE SLOT THAT IS ON THE FRONT PASSENGERS SIDE,HEY I THINK IT WILL SAVE LIVES & FROM LOSEING MONEY. THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!
Posted by cfrulla1 on August 21, 2008 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
See 2nd Amendment.....and use it!!!!!!!!!!!!
instead of a dead end investigation, there would be two perps off the street....
Posted by ms_lady2u on August 21, 2008 at 1:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
sc4peace,Eye for an Eye is exactly what i'm talking about!
Let's take it back Babylonian days....
Posted by kstewart on August 21, 2008 at 7:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
CB, that was my first thought when i read the story. Sounds like a cover up for an accident he had.
Posted by mcdian on August 21, 2008 at 7:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like more of the illegal aliens just working hard in North Charleston
Posted by jeff61 on August 21, 2008 at 8:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
These guys were sittin' at a bar on the inside
Waitin' for thier ride on the outside
She stole thier heart in the trailer park
So they jacked the keys to her f_ckin' car
Crashed that piece of sh!t and then stepped away
Posted by JLWDALFAN on August 22, 2008 at 1:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am so sick of these idiots that won't work for a living. They would rather steal from someone who is. I hope they get their due. GET A DAMN JOB AND WORK LIKE THE REST OF US. THIS CAB DRIVER IS TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY, AND THESE PUNKS THINK NOTHING ABOUT TAKING HIS HARD EARN MONEY AWAY. I'M GLAD HE DIDN'T GET HURT. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY WOULD HAVE SHOT HIM. LAZY BAST###S!!!!!!