Drunken fare ditched by cabbie found dead

Drunken fare ditched by cabbie found dead

• Source: Global Times
• [09:52 March 10 2011]
• Comments

A taxi driver has been accused of ditching a drunken passenger, who later was found dead.

The taxi company, which has been sued for 63,000 yuan ($9,601) in compensation, denied the accusation when the Chaoyang district court heard the case on Monday, and the driver, surnamed Zhao, said that he had done all he should and has nothing to be ashamed of, according to the Beijing Evening News.

The deceased, surnamed Gu, was drunk when he got into Zhao's taxi at around 12:50 am near Xidawang Lu on November 11 last year.

About 10 minutes later, Zhao stopped and let Gu out to vomit, but then Zhao sped off without the passenger, according to the plaintiff, Gu's family.

On November 14, police found Gu's body in the Tonghui River, near the road where Zhao had stopped. Police ruled out murder, according to the report.

The plaintiff argued that there was a binding contract the moment Gu got into the taxi, and the driver not only didn't take him to his destination, but left him on the street when it was clear that Gu was drunk and alone.

The Tongshun taxi company said their driver didn't ditch the passenger. Gu was not completely unconscious and chose to get out of the taxi midway, argued the defense lawyer.

Zhao, the only witness to the case, said he spent over an hour with Gu after he pulled over to let Gu puke, but that the passenger couldn't tell Zhao where he wanted to go.

"I told him, 'I can't drive you if you don't give me an exact address,'" Zhao said in court. "Then he told me it was okay and that I could leave."

The defense lawyer said that taxi drivers can refuse a fare or stop service midway if a drunken passenger boards the taxi alone, according to official regulations on taxi management.

However, there is no mention of what the driver should do after he or she stops service before reaching a destination.

The father of the deceased said it is irresponsible for drivers to abandon drunken passengers.

"You could call the police. How could you just abandon him on the side of the road?" he said, according to the Beijing Evening News.

The court has yet to reach a verdict.

Global Times