Epsom taxi driver who 'thought he hit a fox' in fatal crash gets driving ban

A taxi driver from Epsom has been banned from driving after failing to stop at the scene of a fatal crash, claiming he 'thought he hit a fox'.

Farid Cheheb, 60, has been sentenced to four months in prison and a six-month driving ban after he struck a pedestrian on South Street, Epsom, the early hours of Sunday, 21 May 2023

The pedestrian, 44-year-old Shane Scannell (pictured), was left with a series of injuries including a traumatic head injury and later died in hospital. Cheheb did not stop at the scene, and later claimed that he thought he had hit a fox.

There were no witnesses therefore the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was not able to determine how Cheheb was driving and exactly how the collision occurred.

However, police carried out a reconstruction of the incident, including damage to Cheheb’s car consistent with a collision. A Forensic Collision Investigator was able to determine that Cheheb should have known he had hit a person and not a fox, and that Mr Scannell should have been clearly visible from more than 10 metres away.

Cheheb, from Epsom, was sentenced at Staines Magistrates Court on Thursday, 2 May to an immediate prison sentence of four months, and a driving ban for six months to run alongside this.

Detective Inspector Ben Grilli said, “This was a challenging investigation where there were no witnesses to the actual collision and the vehicle did not stop at the scene. It is a testament to the effort put into this investigation that the vehicle was located and a person prosecuted.

“Although the CPS were not satisfied that we could suitably evidence the manner of driving that led to the collision, it is a sign of the amount of evidence secured that the driver received a custodial sentence for a minor summary offence. We know that the sentence will provide little comfort to the family, but we hope the sentence will provide an element of closure.”

In June last year the family of Shane Scannell paid tribute to a “son, brother, and uncle, who was loved by so many.” They added: "We want to thank everyone who was involved in Shane’s care. Please can we now ask for privacy to allow us to mourn as a family unit."

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