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Cabbie delivers woman's baby in back of his taxi
2 Sep 2010A London cabbie had to be midwife for a customer he helped deliver her baby in the back of his taxi.
Iain Coombes was called to collect heavily pregnant Ayse Sabuncu, 37, and her fiancé, Matthew Scutt, 32, from their home in Wandsworth to go to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
But while crossing Chelsea Bridge, Miss Sabuncu realised the baby was on its way.
They pulled up outside the building and Mr Scutt, a software consultant, dashed in to get help. By the time he returned with doctors, he found the baby lying in his mother's arms.
42-year-old Mr Coombes, a former a City accountant from Sidcup, said: “I've had many experiences but nothing like this. I'm just glad everything went OK.”
Emre Arthur Scutt was born a week early on August 25 and weighed 6lb 7oz.
“Looking back, it's all a bit of a blur,” Mr Scutt said. “However Iain did a fantastic job and kept his cool, and the staff at the hospital were excellent afterwards.”
Miss Sabuncu, an energy markets consultant, said she had been “a bit nervous” when her contractions started at 5.30am on August 25.
“I called a midwife but I was told it would be ages before my waters broke so we stayed at home until that happened at about 11, when I realised the baby was on its way.
“In the taxi I kept saying the baby's coming, the baby's coming', but I don't think anyone believed me until his head popped out.
“Luckily we were in front of the hospital when it happened.”
Miss Sabuncu, who was born in Turkey, said the experience was “quite scary” but praised Mr Coombes for his calm handling of the situation.
“He was so helpful,” she said. “He had to battle through traffic to get us to the hospital as quickly as possible and then afterwards he wanted to send us flowers immediately.”
John Griffin, chairman of taxi firm Addison Lee, said: “This is the first baby we have had born in a cab. Congratulations to the family from all the team.”
Reader views (3)
London Cabbie my bottom, How could you go from Wandsworth to the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital via Chelsea Bridge.
Perhaps he programmed his Sat Nav wrong, or maybe instead of driving as the crow flies, he decided to impersonate an overloaded Stork on a windy day.
Please remember to be a London Cabbie you have to study the streets of London for anywhere between 2 to 5 years, to be a Mini Cab Driver you just need the license fee.
- SteveM, London, 04/09/2010 15:49
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Congratulations! (Mind you that's the reason I closed my Addison Lee account. Using Chelsea Bridge to get from Wandsworth to Fulham Road? Their drivers haven't got a clue. That's probably why they're so expensive and we've gone back to using Black Taxis.)
- Ted, London, 03/09/2010 12:26
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Taxi???? you mean mini cab driver, well done though and congratulations to the new addition to London town.
- Steve, london, 02/09/2010 19:42
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