Cabbie: ‘I just couldn’t see him’

In just a few chilling seconds, a child’s life can be lost.

Yesterday, a taxi driver whose vehicle was involved in a fatal collision with a toddler, recalled the traumatic events surrounding the child’s death.

Nosaj Stovell, age 21 months, died after the collision with the taxi in a driveway on Wyndham Hill, Hamilton Parish, on September 25.

Taxi driver Vaughn Simons had picked up the toddler, his aunt and another woman from Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club at about 7:30pm.

Mr Simons, 50, repeatedly broke down in tears as he spoke to the Bermuda Sun about the fatal incident yesterday.

“I was taking them up to Wyndham Hill; the aunt, child, and another lady. The fare was $6.40 on the meter and I told her [the aunt], ‘Give me $6, it’s cool’. 

“I took the stroller out of the back of the taxi and put it by the wall on the left-hand side of the driveway, about three or four feet away.

“It was a dirt driveway and I had to back up, as there was no room. The aunt gave me the money and then went over to the stroller with the child.

“I got back in the taxi and checked my wing mirrors, my rear mirror and didn’t see nothing.

“I looked back over the front seats, out of the side windows... with the boy being so small, I didn’t see him... I proceeded to reverse.

“I then felt the back of the taxi raise up, and subconsciously, I didn’t recall feeling a bump like that when I drove in.

“I looked in my wing mirror and saw blue and white... when I jumped out of the taxi I realized it was the little boy. He was wearing a blue and white top, and blue shorts.

“I cried out in shock, ‘I rolled over the child’. The aunt came running over, picked the child up and said, ‘We’ve got to go to the hospital!’”

Neighbours then called 911.

Mr Simons  took the injured child and the two women to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

“At the time it didn’t really dawn on me what had transpired, but my back right-hand side wheel must have run over him,” he said.  

I broke down

“I asked the neighbours to tell the emergency services to meet us on the way with an ambulance, and that I was going North Shore and Middle Road.

“But the whole way up we didn’t see an ambulance. It was rough just trying to keep my composure, driving up the road. I didn’t want to get into an accident but I was speeding.

“...When I got to the hospital, that’s when I broke down.

Trying to recall how the accident had happened, Mr Simons said: “I think he just followed me behind the taxi, before I got back in — his steps to my steps, so I was already in the taxi but he was right behind it. 

“The back windows are high so I just couldn’t see him.”

Police were called to the scene and yesterday a spokesman told us: “The investigation into the death of Nosaj continues.” 

Nosaj’s funeral service takes place today at the New Testament Church of God, Hamilton, followed by burial at St John’s Cemetery, Pembroke.