Skip to main content

Tourists' taxi tale of terror

A group of French tourists found that their recent trip to New York set their pulses racing a little more than they had expected. The tourists boarded a vehicle outside the Air France terminal at New York's JFK airport, unaware that this was an unlicensed cab.
March 1, 2012 Read time: 1 min
A group of French tourists found that their recent trip to New York set their pulses racing a little more than they had expected. The tourists boarded a vehicle outside the Air France terminal at New York's JFK airport, unaware that this was an unlicensed cab. As police attempted to stop the vehicle, it sped off with the tourists onboard. The police then followed in hot pursuit while the terrified tourists made repeated pleas to be let out. The van hit speeds of 100km/h as it raced along crowded residential streets, ran red lights and stop signs in an attempt to outrun the police. When the van finally crashed, the police were able to apprehend the driver and the vehicle's 'tout', while one of the tourists was slightly hurt by the crash. The driver and the tout face serious charges and possible prison sentences of up to seven years.

Related Content

  • Break for the border
    February 20, 2012
    In the US state of Idaho a man reported to a county sheriff's office with a request to be deported to Mexico. This request was denied so the man instead stole a police car and headed for the border. However the car contained a cell-phone belonging to one of the officers and was tracked. When the vehicle ran out of fuel, officers were able to apprehend the offender and he was then deported to Mexico, as he had originally wished.
  • Asphalt plant operators offer fuel for thought
    August 28, 2013
    Asphalt plant operators across continental Europe are said to be increasingly turning to pulverized lignite to fuel or partially fuel production, while leading plant manufacturers have been busy closing key deals with customers in Russia, Bangladesh and Switzerland. Guy Woodford reports. Financially astute asphalt plant operators in Europe are said to be increasingly using pulverized lignite, also known as brown coal, from Germany to fuel or partially fuel production. Under the product name ‘Lignite Energ
  • Traffic pursuit
    February 23, 2012
    Drivers on the busy New Jersey Turnpike in the US faced even longer delays when a Cessna light aircraft made an emergency landing on the highway. The road, one of the world's busiest, had to be closed when the aircraft glided over the vehicles using the road and came to a stop, tucked in as close to the hard shoulder as its starboard wing would allow. Somewhat ironically, the aircraft had been monitoring traffic flow on the highway. Following the incident, the highway had to be closed until the aircraft cou
  • Dented pride
    June 13, 2012
    An Australian man has had to make a somewhat embarrassing apology to his father after crashing a treasured classic racing car. The man was competing in a car rally in Tasmania, taking over racing the Ford Capri after his father injured his back earlier in the competition. The father had warned his son neither to come second, nor to crash the car. However, one corner proved too much for the man’s ability and he lost control of the car as he roared around the bend at some 130km/h. The car left the road, flew