EvanL
08-03-2004, 06:38 PM
PRIYA RAMANUJAM AND PAUL CHOI
STAFF REPORTERS
Sameer Ahmed and his friend were angry when a taxi hit their van from behind. They were even more furious when the driver continued without stopping, so they decided to chase what turned out to be a stolen cab.
The pursuit ended a few intersections later, when the cab slammed into a hydro pole and burst into flames. Ahmed's anger turned to concern when he saw that the driver was trapped.
"He was screaming, `Help, help, my leg is broken' and like 10 to 20 people were standing around doing nothing," Ahmed said.
Ahmed, 19, and his friend Peter, 20, sprang into action. Ahmed picked up the Beck taxi sign that had fallen off the top of the cab and smashed the front windows, and Peter dragged the driver out.
Ahmed and Peter, who didn't want to reveal his last name, are being hailed as heroes by the Toronto police and are expected to be honoured with a commendation.
The strange string of events began to unfold shortly after 6 a.m. yesterday, when a Beck taxi driver reported to police that a man forced him out of his cab near Cherry and Polson Sts. The taxi driver told police the thief had fled north in the stolen cab on Cherry St.
About 6:40 a.m., Ahmed called Toronto police on his cellphone to report that his friend's van had been hit by a taxicab in the area of Bloor St. W. and Jane St.
"This particular civilian was keeping his eye on this cab, seeing as how it was driving at a high rate of speed and hitting things in its path," said Staff Sergeant Stan Belza.
"He pursued the cab from a distance, keeping an eye on it just in case something happened."
Belza said the cab continued along Bloor St. W., swerving erratically and driving at speeds up to 140 km/h.
The driver "was getting scared; he thought the police (were) chasing him," said Ahmed.
Ahmed said he was screaming at Peter, who was driving, to run some red lights to keep up.
"He was shocked, he was nervous, he wanted to stop at the red lights,'' Ahmed said. "I had to scream at him to keep driving."
The chase came to an abrupt stop when the cab smashed into a hydro pole in the Bloor and Kingsway area about 7 a.m., knocking down power lines and shutting down power in areas of north Etobicoke.
"It was the turn at Old Mills Rd. and Bloor St. that messed him up," Ahmed said. "He was driving over the road islands and everything."
The two men managed to pull the suspect out of the wrecked cab before it blew up into flames, Belza said.
"These two basically saved his life,'' Belza said. "And for that, they will definitely be considered for some kind of special award."
Ahmed wasn't looking for an award, though; he just hopes the man learns a lesson.
"He could have hurt a lot of people," he said. "He was driving so dangerously. Right away I knew this guy was up to no good."
Ahmed's van was the third vehicle the stolen cab had hit. The first was struck at Bloor and Avenue Rd., the second at Bloor and Dufferin St., police said.
Matthew James Macfarlane, 25, faces 15 charges including robbery, three counts of failing to stop after an accident and possession of cocaine. Macfarlane was also wanted by Correction Services Canada on an outstanding apprehension warrant.
He was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with minor injuries and will appear in College Park court this morning.
The Beck driver who was forced from his cab suffered only minor injuries.
Because of the accident, several homes in the area were without power for much of the day, and traffic on Bloor was diverted to eastbound lanes while crews cleaned up the accident scene.
that takes alot of restraint to help the guy.
STAFF REPORTERS
Sameer Ahmed and his friend were angry when a taxi hit their van from behind. They were even more furious when the driver continued without stopping, so they decided to chase what turned out to be a stolen cab.
The pursuit ended a few intersections later, when the cab slammed into a hydro pole and burst into flames. Ahmed's anger turned to concern when he saw that the driver was trapped.
"He was screaming, `Help, help, my leg is broken' and like 10 to 20 people were standing around doing nothing," Ahmed said.
Ahmed, 19, and his friend Peter, 20, sprang into action. Ahmed picked up the Beck taxi sign that had fallen off the top of the cab and smashed the front windows, and Peter dragged the driver out.
Ahmed and Peter, who didn't want to reveal his last name, are being hailed as heroes by the Toronto police and are expected to be honoured with a commendation.
The strange string of events began to unfold shortly after 6 a.m. yesterday, when a Beck taxi driver reported to police that a man forced him out of his cab near Cherry and Polson Sts. The taxi driver told police the thief had fled north in the stolen cab on Cherry St.
About 6:40 a.m., Ahmed called Toronto police on his cellphone to report that his friend's van had been hit by a taxicab in the area of Bloor St. W. and Jane St.
"This particular civilian was keeping his eye on this cab, seeing as how it was driving at a high rate of speed and hitting things in its path," said Staff Sergeant Stan Belza.
"He pursued the cab from a distance, keeping an eye on it just in case something happened."
Belza said the cab continued along Bloor St. W., swerving erratically and driving at speeds up to 140 km/h.
The driver "was getting scared; he thought the police (were) chasing him," said Ahmed.
Ahmed said he was screaming at Peter, who was driving, to run some red lights to keep up.
"He was shocked, he was nervous, he wanted to stop at the red lights,'' Ahmed said. "I had to scream at him to keep driving."
The chase came to an abrupt stop when the cab smashed into a hydro pole in the Bloor and Kingsway area about 7 a.m., knocking down power lines and shutting down power in areas of north Etobicoke.
"It was the turn at Old Mills Rd. and Bloor St. that messed him up," Ahmed said. "He was driving over the road islands and everything."
The two men managed to pull the suspect out of the wrecked cab before it blew up into flames, Belza said.
"These two basically saved his life,'' Belza said. "And for that, they will definitely be considered for some kind of special award."
Ahmed wasn't looking for an award, though; he just hopes the man learns a lesson.
"He could have hurt a lot of people," he said. "He was driving so dangerously. Right away I knew this guy was up to no good."
Ahmed's van was the third vehicle the stolen cab had hit. The first was struck at Bloor and Avenue Rd., the second at Bloor and Dufferin St., police said.
Matthew James Macfarlane, 25, faces 15 charges including robbery, three counts of failing to stop after an accident and possession of cocaine. Macfarlane was also wanted by Correction Services Canada on an outstanding apprehension warrant.
He was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with minor injuries and will appear in College Park court this morning.
The Beck driver who was forced from his cab suffered only minor injuries.
Because of the accident, several homes in the area were without power for much of the day, and traffic on Bloor was diverted to eastbound lanes while crews cleaned up the accident scene.
that takes alot of restraint to help the guy.