Man charged after video shows passenger grabbing cab driver’s wheel in Whitby crash
Posted January 17, 2025 7:43 am.
Last Updated January 17, 2025 6:36 pm.
Warning: The video attached to this article contains language that some readers might find offensive.
A man from Newfoundland is facing charges stemming from an incident captured in a now-viral video showing a passenger grabbing a taxi cab driver’s steering wheel in a perceived attempt to cause an accident in Whitby.
The cab driver’s dashcam video was obtained and shared on X by 6ixBuzz TV on Thursday.
It captures the accused, who was sitting in the front seat, suddenly and without warning grabbing the steering wheel and forcing a collision into the tractor-trailer. There were also passengers in the back seat at the time. Their relation to the man is unclear.
The driver’s vehicle, which was travelling at more than 115 km/h at the time, crashed into the side of the truck. Once the car comes to a stop, the accused quickly removes his seatbelt and exits, and the tractor-trailer is seen pulling over on the side of the road a short distance later.
No physical injuries were reported.
“That vehicle could have gotten tangled up under the trailer, it could have rolled or flipped or gotten diverted into other traffic,” OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt tells CityNews.
OPP tells CityNews that the incident happened at 5 p.m. on Wednesday on Hwy. 412 near Taunton Road in Whitby.
A 45-year-old man from Newfoundland was taken into custody and faces several charges.
“He is now facing charges of mischief, endangering life, mischief causing damage to property and dangerous driving even though he was the passenger of the vehicle,” explained Schmidt.
Authorities are investigating the man’s motives, as it’s unclear why he tried to force a collision in a taxi cab.
Whitby OPP is carrying out the ongoing investigation.
