Taxi driver risks his life to save toddler walking in front of traffic at night

Loud honking noises, busy road, and heavy traffic. Those are the usual scenarios that drivers witness over the Anlaby Road flyover. However, one one particular busy evening, something truly frightening made everyone’s heart stop.

A baby girl was in the middle of the road by herself, walking towards oncoming traffic around 10pm on Saturday.

Fortunately, a brave and heroic taxi driver named Tareq Elhomsi happened to be on the right place at the right time to save the little girl from harm.

The 37-year-old risked his own life and pulled over to the opposite side of the road in order to block traffic.

“There was two cars coming towards her on Anlaby Road and there was no way that they could have seen her,” he said. “So I crossed over the traffic lights and up the opposite side of the road and stopped my car in front to avoid the other cars from hitting her.”

A fellow taxi driver witnessed his act of bravery. “I had my window down and heard someone shouting, ‘get off the road’ and by then I saw a little girl, she must have been about two or three,” he said. “She was on the road skipping right across the junction in front of oncoming traffic. I saw the cars coming over the flyover and I thought, ‘s***, where’s the mum and dad?’

He furthered: “Next minute, a car came up from the back of us and drove on the wrong side of the road and blocked it completely. If it were not for him that lass would have probably been dead.”

The heroic taxi driver claimed that all he was thinking of at the moment was his own kids. “I didn’t think about myself or my car, I just wanted to save her,” he said.

“I have got three kids and I thought what if it was one of them? It was an awful feeling. I didn’t want to see the cars run her over in front of my eyes.”

The toddler’s mother eventually appeared after Mr. Tareq spoke to the police half an hour after the rescue. She claimed her daughter just opened the front door and went out.

“I said at least she is safe now.”

Furthermore, Mr. Tareq’s colleagues praised their co-workers bravery and courage. “If he hadn’t done what he had done, she would probably have been dead,” they said. “It is something you don’t imagine. The thing with kids at that age is that they’re unpredictable.

“What he did he one hundred percent deserves a pat on the back.”