Elderly passenger broke vertebrae after wheelchair fell out of Ayrshire taxi

An elderly passenger has been in hospital for more than a month after he and his wheelchair rolled out of an open taxi door after the driver failed to secure it.

The man was left with a fracture to a vertebrae in his back and remains in hospital six weeks after the incident.

Kenneth McAlpine had booked Alexander Collins’ taxi on December 4 to take his elderly father, who uses a wheelchair, to a dentist appointment.

READ MORE: Man facing weapon and drug charges after suspected 'drug deal' from car

READ MORE: Bananas can last two weeks longer with simple foil storage method

However, on arrival Mr Collins told them that he wasn’t able to secure Mr McAlpine’s father to straps in the cab.

Despite the safety issue, the passengers continued with the hire to make the detnal appointment.

Civic Licensing Standards Officer Donna Scobie told South Ayrshire Council’s Regulatory Panel that Mr McAlpine had said that he should not have taken the taxi, but did so due to the heavy rain and short distance to the dentist.

She said that once they reached the destination, the driver had opened the door that was directly behind where Mr McAlpine’s father had been put in the cab.

Mr McAlpine had then left via the opposite door when he heard his father shout and saw that the wheelchair was slowly rolling backwards out of the taxi through the open pavement side door.

Ms Scobie added: “The wheelchair toppled backwards with his father still in it, and landed heavily on the pavement.”

An ambulance was called to take Mr McAlpine’s father to Crosshouse accident and emergency department, where he was found to have fractured a vertebrae. He has been in hospital ever since.

The officer stated: “Mr McAlpine made a complaint about the actions of the driver in not securing his father’s wheelchair and then opening the door behind his father while he was not secured.”

She also outlined Mr Collins’ response that Mr McAlpine had helped him put the wheelchair up the ramp, at which point he told him that there was not enough room to turn the wheelchair to attach the straps.

Mr Collins said that Mr McAlpine had told him that he had put the brake on the wheelchair.

When they reached the destination, Mr Collins claimed to have stated that he would open the pavement side door and then get the ramps but when he came back the wheelchair had rolled out of the taxi.

The driver said that Mr McAlpine had told him that he had released the brake before vacating the taxi.

Ms Scobie continued: “I advised Mr Collins that, if a wheelchair can not be secured safely in a taxi vehicle then the hire should not commence.

“A taxi driver should contact their booking office to arrange for a suitable vehicle to carry a wheelchair .

“I asked Mr. McAlpine what happened when he reached his destination.

“He advised us that the driver had opened the door that his father was pulled in through and exited the opposite door and by the time he had walked around to the other side, his father had fallen out.

“However, the driver advised me he opened the door but the wheelchair user was filled in to and then went to the retrieve the ramps.”

Mr McAlpine, attending the hearing, confirmed the taxi driver pulled his father into the taxi and, when asked to secure him, told him this wasn’t possible.

He added that the door his father fell from was closed when he left the taxi himself.

Mr McAlpine told councillors that other taxi drivers and private hires had no problems using the straps to secure the wheelchair.

Mr Collins’ offered an apology and reiterated his explanation as to why the wheelchair was not secured.

Councillor Martin Kilbride said: “I think what I’m getting from this is that you thought it was just a quick journey and I do understand that he’s going for an appointment.

“But in hindsight, you agree yourself, you would be have been better to refuse the hire because, if you can’t safely start the journey, the journey shouldn’t have started.

“That was probably unfortunate because if the ramp was in place, this circumstance could easily have been avoided.”

The panel agreed not to suspend Mr Collins’ licence, but have ordered him to undertake relevant training within six months.

Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter