Cabbie receives £1500 fine and driving ban after man loses leg

A cab driver who confused his brake and accelerator pedal has been fined and given a driving ban.

52 year old James Manley from Camden was trying to manoeuvre his cab out of the way of a van in Southampton Street, Covent Garden when he accidentally hit the accelerator. This resulted in his taxi ploughing into a number of shoppers in the area, injuring several people.

The Evening Standard reported that Andre Straker-Brown had to have his leg amputated as a result of being pinned to a lampost by the vehicle. Another victim, Karen Brown, needed stitches to a head wound, whilst a third person, James Stewart had his foot run over.

Southwark Crown Court heard that the crash happened whilst Mr Manley was waiting for his partner to leave the North Face shop. 

Manley who had been a cab driver for five years, but has since quit, was cleared of dangerous driving but convicted of two counts of undue care and attention, and was fined £1500 and given a two year driving ban.