Yesterday (Thursday 14th March) it was reported that a Blackpool taxi driver was in a serious condition after being stabbed in the stomach whilst in his cab just before midnight on Wednesday 13th March. Police said that the Hackney Cab driver, described as being in his 30s, suffered knife wounds to the stomach inside his vehicle.  His dashcam was also stolen during the attack. Today (Friday 15th March) a photograph of the severely injured driver, Adam, has been released (featured photograph). A Go Fund Me page has been launched to provide much-needed  support for self-employed Adam at this critical time (details at the foot of the article).

Also today, speaking to Lytham St. Anne’s News, a close friend of Adam shared the more news that Adam is now out of the induced coma and is doing well in intensive care. With this news, he has shared these details of the attack following his extended visit to Adam in hospital.

‘A few hours after Adam woke up he managed to give a statement to the police. Adam took a flag down which was a petit black male wearing a large hood on jacket / hoodie, jeans or joggers, speaking in a London accident and saying “bruv” a lot. He asked to go to Weeton Barracks. He asked to pull over as was going to wet himself. Adam attempted to pull into the Wake Park entrance, he then said no bruv cameras here, can’t piss here. He asked Adam to pull into a lay-by, he then smashed the window.

Then he immediately stuck a needle into Adam’s neck and said “give me your money or I’m going to inject you with some nasty shit.’ Adam resisted, but the man managed to inject something into Adam’s neck followed by stabbing him multiple times and stealing his dashcam. Adam fought off the man which led to lacerations all over his arms from the man’s knife.

He couldn’t find his way to the hospital and ended up at the Tesco fuel garage on Whitegate Drive (see photograph below), where he was seen and the police and ambulance were called.

The police did not know what he was injected with, but it had a negative impact on his blood and he required immediate intervention in intensive care as his lips turned blue, O2 saturation at around 30.

I do not have a full medical report, but I have spoken briefly with the doctor.

He was treated by the doctors with Methyl Blue to stabilise the iron in his haemoglobin alongside other treatments (telling you this in case other incidents happen).

Whatever he was injected with caused him to suffer from methemoglobinemia (issue with blood carrying oxygen). This is absolutely life threatening and required immediate intervention. The stab wounds were mainly to Adam’s abdomen. They firstly believed a lung had collapsed.

He was placed into an induced coma in intensive care and is currently on oxygen and being fed through a tube to his stomach.

This was an unprovoked attack and could have been anyone of us. Adam was driving a flag down to Weeton Barracks and the passenger was not at all suspicious until the moment he smashed the window. Adam is an experienced cab driver and was not at all suspicious of the man’s behaviour.’

A Go-Fund Me page has been launched to help support the stabbed taxi-driver Adam whilst he is recovering in hospital.

The fund launcher, who is NOT the close friend who provided the above details, has written:

‘It is with heavy heart to hear the devastating news of the recent incident involving one of our own. Keep strong Adam you’re in the best place for recovery.

Adam, while simply carrying out his duty of safely transporting a customer from one place to another, was tragically stabbed. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. While Adam is in recovery, bills don’t stop and being self-employed is hard hence why I have set this up to try and help.

As taxi drivers, we often find ourselves in the role of the unsung heroes of our communities. We’re not just drivers; we should be often referred to as the 4th emergency service. We lend a listening ear to those in distress, with many drivers offering support and comfort to those who need it most.

We provide a vital service to our local community, sometimes being the lifeline for those who have been displaced from their homes or find themselves in distressing situations, and who need our taxi service to help them in times of need, get to a place of safety.

Adam’s ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the risks we face in our line of work. It’s a reminder to us all to remain vigilant and mindful of our surroundings at all times. We must prioritise our safety and the safety of our passengers above all else also, which we all do, but we must ensure we are safe also.

Let us come together as a community, which we are, and it is great to see so much support for Adam in his recovery, which is heart-warming, we all stand together and help each other. We need to ensure that incidents like this never happen again. Let’s keep an eye out for each other, look out for any signs of trouble, and always prioritise safety above all else.

Adam, we stand with you in solidarity, and we wish you a speedy recovery.

Stay safe, everyone, and let’s continue to be the guardians of our communities as we carry out our important work as taxi drivers, which is all about helping those who don’t have transport get from A to B in a safe way, taxi drivers are here to help you, so respect those who are helping you.

God bless Adam and family.’

The Go Fund Me address to support Adam is: https://www.gofundme.com/f/adam-financially-while-recovering-after-stabbing