Yahoo News Grieving family want law change after Stoke mum dropped off by cabbie found dead
The grieving family of a mum-of-one found dead outside her home are campaigning for a change in the law. Sonia Wilson had fallen asleep in a taxi and was 'drunk and unable to stand' when she was last seen alive on the doorstep of her Stoke home at 2.30am on April 25, 2023.
Police and paramedics were called to James Street at 9.40am that morning after a delivery driver found the 31-year-old face down on the pavement outside her home and he tried to administer CPR. But there was nothing the emergency services could do and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Now the devastated family are calling for taxi drivers to have a greater duty of care towards their passengers.
Dad Paul Wilson said: “Our concern is that the taxi company left her incapacitated on the front doorstep which is very irresponsible of them. If something further was done, such as calling an ambulance, then Sonia might still be here.
“She would have gone around to the back of the property if she was able to because that’s where she lived. I’ve spoken to the police about the taxi company but they said that they hadn’t committed any offences or broken any laws so it’s limited to what they could do. So taxi drivers have guidelines, but there’s no legal duty of care.”
Step-mum Jillian Wilson added: “We’ve contacted our MP who is getting in touch with the Ministry of Justice because we want a law change for taxi drivers to have a duty of care for their passengers.”
An inquest has heard Sonia had been out drinking with friend Michael Capper when she got in the taxi. The taxi driver later called Michael to say she had fallen asleep in the taxi. It is not clear how she managed to get out of the cab.
Mr Capper told the inquest: “She decided to go home despite me repeatedly offering for her to stay. Sonia wasn’t very stable because she was very drunk, so my flatmate assisted her to the taxi. I received a call from the taxi driver saying Sonia was asleep in the back, so I called her phone seven times but she didn’t answer.
“I called her brother to see if he could attend to her. I called the taxi driver to make sure she was home safely. The next day I called Sonia to see if she was ok but there was no answer, so I assumed she was sleeping. Her brother called me later that night and told me she’d passed away.”
The Wilson family have been unable to get any answers from the taxi firm.
They added: “It would have been quicker for the taxi driver to take her to the hospital than it was to call Michael. I found out which company it was and asked them what happened. A man on the phone was friendly until I asked why they’d left a passenger who ended up dead and then he cut me off in a panic.
“The driver should have phoned an ambulance. What person with an ounce of decency would leave her there? Why not knock on neighbours' doors, how could anyone just leave her like that on the doorstep. He’s living his life whilst we’ve got a huge hole in ours. Sonia was always there to chat to or to get your shopping if you needed it, even if it was the middle of the night. We’ll always miss her.”
The inquest ruled Sonia died from 'acute alcohol toxicity'.
North Staffordshire area coroner Daniel Howe said: “Sonia had been taken back home by a taxi and was described to be very drunk and needed assistance. She was unrousable in the back and the taxi driver called Michael. I do know Sonia exited the taxi and didn’t make it into her property and was found outside her property.”
