China cabby drives against traffic, runs red lights to rush unconscious toddler to hospital
A taxi driver in central China won widespread praise online after racing an unconscious child to the hospital, running red lights and driving against traffic. The incident unfolded in Wuhan, Hubei province, on June 5, according to the mainland media outlet Ping An Hubei. The three-year-old girl, ide
By Zoey Zhang
A taxi driver in central China won widespread praise online after racing an unconscious child to the hospital, running red lights and driving against traffic.
The incident unfolded in Wuhan, Hubei province, on June 5, according to the mainland media outlet Ping An Hubei.
The three-year-old girl, identified by the pseudonym Yanyan, had developed a fever at home before suddenly losing consciousness.
Her family called the emergency services, but were told an ambulance would take at least 20 minutes to arrive because of the evening rush hour.
With no time to lose, they carried the child out of their residential compound and flagged down a taxi that had just picked up two passengers.
After seeing the girl’s critical condition, the passengers immediately got out and gave up the vehicle.
The driver, Wang Tao, set off for the nearby Tongji Hospital while trying to establish what had happened. Yanyan’s mother sat in the front passenger seat, while her grandmother held the unconscious child in the back.
As he sped through traffic, Wang reassured the family and contacted traffic police, telling them he had a critically ill child in the taxi and needed help clearing the way.
He ran several red lights and drove briefly into the oncoming lane to save time, but heavy congestion brought the taxi to a standstill near the hospital.
Wang then pulled over and shouted to the family: “Give me the child. You cannot run as fast as I can.”
He carried Yanyan and ran towards the hospital, later receiving help from a passing resident on an electric bicycle, who helped get the child to emergency care.
Reports said less than 30 minutes passed from the onset of Yanyan’s symptoms to her arrival in the Accident and Emergency.
After treatment, she was declared out of danger, although the cause of her condition has not been disclosed.
Her family later contacted Wang several times to offer him a reward, but he refused.
“Helping someone in a crisis is instinctive. I will continue to stay true to my values, bring warmth to an ordinary job and do my best to help those in need,” said Wang.
Originally from Liaoning province in northeastern China, Wang said his 12 years living in Wuhan had given him a strong grasp of the city’s roads and traffic patterns, which proved crucial during the rescue.
On June 11, Wang’s taxi company awarded him a 1,000-yuan (US$150) bonus. The following day, Alibaba Foundation and a local newspaper gave him a further 5,000 yuan.
The Alibaba Group owns the South China Morning Post.
Wang’s story has resonated widely on mainland social media.
“The driver is a modern-day knight-errant. Well done,” said one netizen.
Another wrote that the rescue reflected the combined efforts of Wang, the passengers who gave up the taxi, traffic police and doctors, adding: “Wuhan is a city with warmth.”