Adobe StockA bus drove off with a taxi driver clinging on for life to the doors in a fit of road rage.
Bus driver Daniel Smith, 34, got into an argument with the cabbie after crashing into him in Glasgow’s Hillington on November 13, 2022.
The taxi driver, who repeatedly asked for Smith’s details, desperately held on to the bar of the open doors as the bus moved off.
He fell to the ground, which caused several injuries, including broken bones.
McGill’s driver, Smith, was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He was also convicted of assault and pleaded guilty to failing to appear at a court date last year.
The court heard from the victim, a taxi driver of 34 years, who stated in his evidence that he was on his way home before the incident.
The man, who was in the outside lane, claimed that Smith pulled out in front of him from the inside lane.
He said, “I slammed on the brakes and pulled as far as I could to the outside line.
“The bus hit the driver’s side of my taxi, and there was a loud bang.
“I thought that serious damage was done to my taxi at that point.”
Mr Meek stated that the bus continued to drive, so he honked his horn as he pulled to the side of the single-decker.
He further claimed that Smith “kept looking away” from him.
Smith then pulled over at a bus stop, and the cab driver got out of his taxi and approached him to get registration details.
He claimed that Smith told him that he did not realise he had collided with the taxi and apologised.
It was then stated that Smith denied hitting the taxi vehicle before the two men ended up on the bus.
The victim claimed that Smith told him that he was not getting his insurance details and to get off the bus.
The taxi driver said: “He then got out of the driver’s side and punched or slapped my phone out of my hand, then it hit the ground.
“He told me to get off the bus and I said, ‘not until I get your details’.”
Smith then went on to drive the bus with the victim still at the open entrance doors.
“My recollection was the bus was hitting the brake,” the taxi driver recalled.
“I turned around and held on to the bar on the bus, and I fell off.
“My legs have not been the same, I can’t sleep, I have nightmares, and my arm was killing me. I felt at that point my life was over.”
The taxi driver stated that he “crawled” home and phoned the police to report the incident.
He was then taken to hospital where he was found to have suffered a broken elbow bone, broken toes, as well as wounds to his nose and hands.
CCTV of the incident was shown to the court, where both men are heard to shout at each other.
Mark Dunbar, defending, put it to the taxi driver that he was shouting and screaming at Smith.
“At him, I accept that I said what I probably shouldn’t have said,” the cabbie admitted.
When convicting him, Sheriff Collette Gallagher told Smith that the victim was a “credible and reliable” witness who made concessions about his own behaviour.
The sheriff went on to say that Smith was not a credible or reliable witness.
She said: “Your evidence was not supported by the CCTV, and the inconsistencies mean I cannot rely on your evidence.”
The sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month.
Smith, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, was granted bail and disqualified from driving.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
