NHS approved taxi driver abandoned mother and her sick child at 1am because she feared driving through a puddle would ruin her car
A mother and her sick child were
abandoned on a country lane in the early hours of the morning when an
NHS-approved taxi driver refused to drive them through a large puddle.
Riki Hall, 32, had to wade through the ankle-deep water carrying her epileptic daughter Riven, six, before setting off to walk the rest of the way home at 1am.
The driver was worried that water would get into her exhaust if she drove through the puddle.
She didn't know any of the alternative routes into the rural village of Franksbridge, near Llandrindod Wells, Powys, which avoided the water.
Riven was treated in hospital after suffering a series of epileptic fits but was discharged at 11.15pm.
Staff phoned a taxi firm with an NHS contract to take Riki and her daughter 30 miles home.
The young girl was fast asleep in the back of the vehicle when they were forced to get out and walk back as sleet came down.
'Riven was fast asleep on the back seat in her pyjamas when the woman driver suddenly stopped in the road,' she said.
'She said there was a puddle which was caused by an overflowing ditch. The puddle wasn't particularly deep - but the driver said she would check to see if it covered her foot.
'She said she had a new turbo fitted on the car - and didn't want water getting into the vehicle's exhaust.'
Driver Sheila Cooke went out to check the depth of the puddle on the country lane but said she wouldn't go any further.
Mother-of-three Riki said: 'She said she wasn't going to take us any further. She said we could either get out and walk the rest of the journey or she could drive us to the nearest town.
'I should have refused to get out of the car but I just wanted to get my daughter home and into her bed.
'She was in her pyjamas and exhausted, it was pitch black and a mixture of rain and sleet was falling.
'I didn't have a coat and Riven had nothing but a blanket wrapped around her pyjamas.'
She added: 'My feet got wet walking through the puddle but it didn't come past my ankles.'
Luckily after 10 minutes Riki was able to get a signal on her mobile phone to call for her mother to collect them from the country lane in the middle-of-nowhere.
Riki - who also has four-year-old twins - said: 'I am angry at the callous way Riven and I were treated.
'I still believe the taxi could have gone through the puddle without damaging her car.'
Her mother Erica Hall, a policewoman, said: 'I'm disgusted my daughter and granddaughter were abandoned in a country lane at that time in the morning and in those conditions.
'Anything could have happened.'
Taxi driver Mrs Cooke, who owns Sheila's Cars in Abergavenny, yesterday apologised.
She said: 'There was an awful lot of water on the road - it came way over my ankles. In my professional opinion there was no way I could have driven my car through that water safely.
'At
the time I didn't realise that Miss Hall's daughter had recently
suffered from an epileptic fit. In hindsight I should have given her the
option to return to hospital.'
Riven has suffered with epilepsy since she was born but had not had a fit for over a year when she was admitted to Nevill Hall hospital in Abergavenny, South Wales.
A hospital spokesman said: 'We are looking into the issues raised. The Health Board takes any concerns expressed in relation to the services provided by contracted companies seriously.
'The firm remains on our list of approved companies for patient transport.
'We have asked taxi firms contracted to us to return patients to hospital if for any reason they cannot return them to their destination safely.'
Riki Hall, 32, had to wade through the ankle-deep water carrying her epileptic daughter Riven, six, before setting off to walk the rest of the way home at 1am.
The driver was worried that water would get into her exhaust if she drove through the puddle.
Abandoned: Riki Hall, 32, and her daughter Riven
were abandoned on this country lane in the middle of the night because
an NHS-approved taxi driver didn't want to go through a puddle
Riven was treated in hospital after suffering a series of epileptic fits but was discharged at 11.15pm.
Staff phoned a taxi firm with an NHS contract to take Riki and her daughter 30 miles home.
The young girl was fast asleep in the back of the vehicle when they were forced to get out and walk back as sleet came down.
'Riven was fast asleep on the back seat in her pyjamas when the woman driver suddenly stopped in the road,' she said.
'She said there was a puddle which was caused by an overflowing ditch. The puddle wasn't particularly deep - but the driver said she would check to see if it covered her foot.
Hospitalised: Riven, six, pictured with her mother, was taken to hospital after suffering a series of epileptic fits
Taxi: One of the vehicles from Sheila's Cars
taxi firm who refused to take Riki Hall and her daughter home because of
a large puddle
Taxi driver: Sheila Cooke who dropped Riki and Riven hall off a mile from home in the middle of the night
Driver Sheila Cooke went out to check the depth of the puddle on the country lane but said she wouldn't go any further.
Mother-of-three Riki said: 'She said she wasn't going to take us any further. She said we could either get out and walk the rest of the journey or she could drive us to the nearest town.
'I should have refused to get out of the car but I just wanted to get my daughter home and into her bed.
'She was in her pyjamas and exhausted, it was pitch black and a mixture of rain and sleet was falling.
'I didn't have a coat and Riven had nothing but a blanket wrapped around her pyjamas.'
She added: 'My feet got wet walking through the puddle but it didn't come past my ankles.'
Luckily after 10 minutes Riki was able to get a signal on her mobile phone to call for her mother to collect them from the country lane in the middle-of-nowhere.
Riki - who also has four-year-old twins - said: 'I am angry at the callous way Riven and I were treated.
'I still believe the taxi could have gone through the puddle without damaging her car.'
Her mother Erica Hall, a policewoman, said: 'I'm disgusted my daughter and granddaughter were abandoned in a country lane at that time in the morning and in those conditions.
'Anything could have happened.'
Taxi driver Mrs Cooke, who owns Sheila's Cars in Abergavenny, yesterday apologised.
She said: 'There was an awful lot of water on the road - it came way over my ankles. In my professional opinion there was no way I could have driven my car through that water safely.
Treatment: The schoolgirl had been treated at Nevill Hall hospital in Abergavenny, Wales, was but discharged at 11pm
Firm: The taxi company are used by the NHS to take patients home
Riven has suffered with epilepsy since she was born but had not had a fit for over a year when she was admitted to Nevill Hall hospital in Abergavenny, South Wales.
A hospital spokesman said: 'We are looking into the issues raised. The Health Board takes any concerns expressed in relation to the services provided by contracted companies seriously.
'The firm remains on our list of approved companies for patient transport.
'We have asked taxi firms contracted to us to return patients to hospital if for any reason they cannot return them to their destination safely.'