Man killed in Wolverhampton street attack was 'lovely' taxi driver

The man, aged in his 50s and a driver for ABC Cars in Wolverhampton, died after suffering serious injuries after arriving, in Nine Elms Lane, in Park Village, shortly before 10.45am on Sunday morning.

Despite the efforts of police officers and paramedics, the private hire driver who has not been named, was pronounced dead at the scene near the junction with Crowther Street off Cannock Road.

Paying tribute, an independent driver who did not want to be named, told the Express & Star: "This is a sad thing to have happened. He was a lovely chap. We worked for different companies, but you get to know the drivers. I actually saw him not so long ago.

"I saw the report on social media, but I didn't know it was a taxi driver until I started my shift this morning. I recognised his description straight away. My thoughts are with his family."

Stunned residents in Nine Elms Lane said investigating officers set up cordons in near where the silver-coloured taxi was positioned and carried out to door-to-door inquiries in the aftermath.

Among them was Marian Stephan, 33, a lorry driver who said: "I was working on my car when I noticed two ambulances and many police cars come into the street.

"I walked up the road to see what was going on, but by the time I got there the police cordoned off the street. I didn't see anything.

"A guy came up to me afterwards and said that a taxi driver had died."

Sandeep Singh, 42, said: "The police came and knocked our door to ask if we saw what happened. I told them we didn't see anything. I'm very shocked about it and I feel sorry for this man's family."

Julia Urbanska, 31, added: "It is a very bad situation. My condolences to his family.

"I went shopping in the afternoon and caught a taxi home. The driver was talking about it and said some of the other drivers stopped working when they heard what had happened."

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called to reports of an assault at the junction of Crowther Street and Nine Elms Lane at 10.43am yesterday. Two ambulances, two paramedic officers and a MERIT trauma doctor attended the scene.

"On arrival we discovered a male patient who was in a critical condition and already receiving medical attention from police colleagues.

"Ambulance staff administered advanced life support but sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts it became apparent nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene."

West Midlands Police has arrested a 35-year-old man on suspicion of murder and he remained in custody for questioning on Monday afternoon following the incident.

Any witnesses with information about the incident should contact detectives via Live Chat at west-midlands.police,uk, or phone 101 quoting log 1516, of 30 October.