A longtime employee of Checker Cabs is recovering from minor injuries following a hijacking on Calgary’s outer limits yesterday morning.
The driver, a 45-year-old who has been with the company for roughly 20 years, picked up two intoxicated individuals in the Temple area around 8:30 a.m, said company vice-president Kurt Enders.
After roughly 20 to 30 minutes, the individuals asked the driver to pull over on Wrangler Way, an industrial area east of 84th St. NE, Enders said.
“They had to go to the washroom,” he said. “When they got back into the car, the passenger in the front pulled a knife on our driver.”
The driver suffered cuts to his hands while fending off the attackers before finally surrendering the vehicle. A passerby then spotted the driver and phoned police. He was taken to hospital and treated.
“His spirits are relatively high, given what he has gone through,” Enders said.
RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb said carjackings are rare, and added that police were still investigating the incident.
“With the injuries to the taxi driver, we have not been able to sit down and get all the details from him,” he added.
