Four passengers helped bring a runaway taxi to a stop in Hong Kong’s Cheung Sha Wan after the 66-year-old driver suddenly lost consciousness at the wheel, with newly surfaced dashcam footage showing the passengers scrambling to control the vehicle as it drifted across the road.
The incident happened at about noon on September 28 while the taxi was travelling eastbound along Ching Cheung Road towards Kwun Tong, near Nob Hill Square. According to police, the driver became unconscious while driving, leaving the taxi without effective control for roughly 30 seconds.
The vehicle moved unpredictably across the road before the passengers managed to intervene. The taxi eventually scraped against a concrete roadside barrier and stopped after its front-right tyre was blown out.
Driver Becomes Unresponsive Behind the Wheel
Dashcam footage from inside the taxi shows the driver wearing sunglasses with his head lowered towards the steering wheel. He appeared unresponsive as the vehicle continued moving along Ching Cheung Road.
The passengers quickly realised something was wrong.
A male passenger seated in the front reached towards the driver and patted his arm, apparently trying to get a response. When the driver did not react, a female passenger repeatedly tapped his face in an attempt to wake him.
The taxi continued moving despite their efforts.
With the driver still unresponsive, the situation became an immediate safety emergency for everyone inside the vehicle and other road users nearby. The front passenger then reached across and took hold of the steering wheel.
His actions gave the taxi some direction as it continued down the road.
At the same time, a female passenger sitting in the back moved forward and attempted to activate the vehicle’s emergency brake.
The passengers had little time to react. The taxi was already in motion, and stopping it safely required them to work from inside the vehicle while the unconscious driver remained in the driver's seat.
Taxi Scrapes Along Roadside Barrier
The footage shows the passengers struggling to control the vehicle as it continued forward.
The front passenger held the steering wheel while the other passenger worked to apply the emergency brake. The taxi eventually moved towards the right side of the road and struck or scraped along the concrete roadside barrier.
The contact with the barrier helped slow the vehicle.
The taxi finally came to a stop after its front-right tyre was blown out. The four passengers then left the vehicle and sought assistance.
Although the incident caused damage to the taxi, none of the passengers suffered injuries.
Their decision to intervene prevented the vehicle from continuing uncontrolled along the road. Police later assisted the passengers by helping them hail another taxi so they could continue their journey.
The driver, however, required immediate medical attention.
Driver Taken to Caritas Medical Centre
Paramedics transported the 66-year-old taxi driver to Caritas Medical Centre following the incident.
He remained in critical condition as of Wednesday, according to the information available after the incident.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the driver’s loss of consciousness. The available footage shows the driver becoming unresponsive while the taxi was moving, but it does not establish why he collapsed.
The incident also leaves open questions about what caused the medical emergency and whether the driver experienced any warning symptoms before losing consciousness.
Those details had not been established in the information released about the case.
Passengers React as Taxi Continues Moving
The dashcam footage provides a close view of the passengers’ response during the emergency.
The first attempts focused on waking the driver. The front passenger touched his arm while the woman repeatedly tapped his face. When those efforts failed, the passengers changed their approach.
Taking control of a moving vehicle from the passenger seat carries obvious risks, particularly when the person behind the wheel is unconscious and the passengers have only seconds to respond. Yet the footage shows the front passenger taking the steering wheel while another passenger moved forward to operate the emergency brake.
The passengers then used the available controls and the roadside barrier to bring the taxi to a stop.
The sequence lasted only a short time, but it involved several rapidly changing hazards. The taxi remained in motion, the driver could not respond, and the passengers had to make decisions while trying to avoid a collision.
The vehicle's eventual contact with the barrier brought the episode to an end.
Incident Occurs on Ching Cheung Road
The incident took place on Ching Cheung Road in Cheung Sha Wan, an important road in the Kowloon area connecting traffic routes towards Kwun Tong and other parts of the city.
The taxi was travelling eastbound near Nob Hill Square when the driver lost consciousness.
Police said the vehicle veered from side to side for about half a minute. That movement meant the taxi could have posed a danger to other motorists and road users before it was stopped.
The passengers' intervention changed the vehicle's course and ultimately brought it to rest against the roadside barrier.
After leaving the taxi, all four passengers were able to seek help without requiring hospital treatment themselves.
Police officers subsequently helped arrange another taxi for the passengers.
Dashcam Footage Shows the Critical Seconds
The footage has provided a clearer picture of what happened inside the taxi during the emergency.
Rather than simply showing the aftermath, the recording captures the driver's apparent collapse, the passengers' attempts to wake him and their efforts to control the vehicle.
The driver remains visibly unresponsive while the taxi continues moving. The front passenger then assumes control of the steering wheel, while a woman in the rear reaches towards the emergency brake.
The vehicle's eventual collision with the concrete barrier appears to bring it to a stop, with the damage including a blown-out front-right tyre.
The footage does not show any passenger suffering an injury during the incident.
Investigation Continues
The driver's medical condition remains the most serious aspect of the case. He was transported to Caritas Medical Centre and was reported to be in critical condition as of Wednesday.
The circumstances that caused him to lose consciousness have not been established in the information available from police.
For the passengers, the immediate priority was to stop a vehicle that had suddenly become difficult to control. Their actions brought the taxi to a halt before the situation developed into a larger road accident.
The incident also demonstrates how quickly a routine taxi journey can turn into an emergency when a driver becomes incapacitated without warning.
Police continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and the driver's medical emergency. The dashcam recording remains an important account of the sequence inside the taxi.
What would you do if the driver of your vehicle suddenly became unresponsive while it was still moving?