Taxi driver’s car burst into flames after night shift

Monday 12th April 2010, 1:00PM BST.

Firefighters Micky Wilson, left, and Glen Hamon with the remains of the Toyota Previa that caught fire while it was being driven yesterday morning. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0949673)

FIRE destroyed a car in Le Grand Bouet yesterday morning.

Taxi driver Ian Le Page, 52, was driving home after completing his night shift when smoke started to come from under the dashboard.

‘I’d only come from Mont Arrive,’ he said. ‘The battery had gone flat so I’d had to jump start it. I had time to try and disconnect the battery, but the connections were too tight. The fire started so I knocked on a few doors to try and warn people.’

Mr Le Page, who works for Island Taxis, said the Toyota Previa was not being used as a taxi at the time.

A neighbour said the first he knew of the blaze was when he heard crackles and pops in the road which sounded like Bonfire Night.