London Bridge terror attack: Taxi driver ‘hero’ tried to ‘ram’ terrorists with cab to stop atrocity

Driver told LBC radio that he did quick U-turn but men side-stepped him

Sunday 04 June 2017 09:13 BST

✕

Taxi driver ‘hero’ tried to ‘ram’ terrorists with cab to stop attack

A taxi driver and eyewitness to the London Bridge terror attack explained how he tried to "ram" the men who were killing innocent civilians.

The driver, only known as Chris, told LBC Radio that he desperately tried to stop the attack.

"I said to the guy in my cab I was going to try and hit him, I was going to ram him.

"I turned around and tried, but he side-stepped me.

"I spun the cab round, I was about to ram one of them, but he side-stepped and three police officers came running towards them with their batons drawn.

As he drove down Borough High Street he saw a white van driving around 50 miles per hour when it deliberately ploughed into bystanders on the pavement. Chris did a quick U-turn to try and stop the men, who by now had exited their vehicle and were attacking people with knives.

"A van came from London Bridge itself, went between the traffic light system and rammed it towards the steps. It knocked loads of people down.

London Bridge Terror Attack

Show all 16

1/16London Bridge Terror Attack

London Bridge Terror Attack

Armed police on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge

PA

London Bridge Terror Attack

Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge

PA

London Bridge Terror Attack

Police Officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge

PA

London Bridge Terror Attack

Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge

PA

London Bridge Terror Attack

Armed police on Borough High Street as police deal with a 'major incident' at London Bridge

PA

London Bridge Terror Attack

Emergency services near the scene of the incident

Screengrab

London Bridge Terror Attack

People run down Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge

Reuters

London Bridge Terror Attack

Emergency services arrive at the scene near Borough market at London Bridge

Carl Court/Getty Images

London Bridge Terror Attack

Emergency personnel on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge

PA

London Bridge Terror Attack

Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge

PA

London Bridge Terror Attack

A second helicopter lands on London Bridge as police are responding to three incidents in the capital, amid reports that a vehicle collided with pedestrians on London Bridge, Scotland Yard said. Officers are dealing with reports of stabbings in Borough Market, where armed officers attended and shots were fired. They are also at an incident in the Vauxhall area

PA

London Bridge Terror Attack

Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London

REUTERS

London Bridge Terror Attack

Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain

Reuters

London Bridge Terror Attack

A police officer escorts members of the public to safety at London Bridge

Getty Images

London Bridge Terror Attack

Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain

Reuters

London Bridge Terror Attack

Police attend to an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain

Reuters

"Then three men got out with long blades, 12 inches long and went randomly along Borough High Street stabbing people at random. I saw a young girl stabbed in the chest.”

"Then there were two police officers running towards him with their batons drawn, they didn't know what was happening.

Follow latest live updates after deadly London attack

"There was a guy with a really long blade stabbing randomly people.

Sadiq Khan reacts to London attack

"I told people to turn around and run away. It sickened me to the pit of my stomach. An absolute animal."

At least seven people have died and 48 are injured in the latest attack, which targeted a busy and popular spot in central London on a Saturday evening.

Metropolitan Police said the three attackers were shot and killed within eight minutes of the first call to emergency services.

The suspects were reportedly wearing fake suicide vests.

Police carried out our four controlled blasts in the London Bridge area within 26 minutes in the early hours of the morning.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies