Man charged with assault after Calgary cab driver struck, causing taxi to roll over

A 38-year-old man who was out on parole has been charged with assault after an incident that ended with a Calgary cab rolling over on Friday. The taxi’s surveillance video captured the cab’s passenger striking the driver on the head multiple times, according to the company’s president.

UPDATE: Man accused in latest Calgary taxi assault was convicted of same crime in 2014

A Checker Yellow Cab picked up a passenger at about 2:15 a.m. Friday and headed south on Elbow Drive.

Checker Yellow Cabs president Kurt Enders said the driver picked up the passenger at 17 Ave. and 5 St. S.W. but couldn’t get a destination address from the man.

Enders said the driver tried for 20 minutes to get an address, then told him he would just take him downtown, free of charge.

“As they started to head back downtown, the customer in the back started to hit our driver in the head approximately 10 to 12 times,” Enders said Monday, after watching surveillance video of the attack.

“On the first punch, he knocked our driver out and then [the driver] accelerated quite heavily from being passed out and then rolled the car at that time.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "On the first punch, he knocked our driver out and then [the driver] accelerated quite heavily from being passed out and then rolled the car at that time."

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Police said the cab rolled over at Elbow Drive and Crescent Boulevard.

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“I was disgusted to see the video,” Enders said.

“It just sent chills throughout my whole body seeing that someone could do that when they were trying to help get someone home safe at the end of the night. It’s very disturbing and I’ve seen videos before and this one probably rates as one of the worst I’ve ever seen.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It just sent chills throughout my whole body seeing that someone could do that when they were trying to help get someone home safe at the end of the night. It's very disturbing and I've seen videos before and this one probably rates as one of the worst I've ever seen."

A man was arrested at the scene. Police said alcohol is believed to be a factor.

Todd Allan Dibb has been charged with one count of assault.

Watch below: Global’s past coverage of other stories involving assaults on taxi drivers in Calgary

0:22 Charges withdrawn against Calgary passenger in extreme taxi abuse video

Enders said the cab driver is a father of two who is recovering from facial injuries at home. He said he was thankful to be alive.

“He is doing OK and has a sore jaw, cheek and face,” Enders said, adding he’ll be taking some time off to relax and recover.

The cab company president doesn’t think an assault charge for the suspect goes far enough.

“He did endanger other people’s lives on the road and was heading right for residential property,” he said. “So I think it’s disgusting and hopefully there will be more charges laid once police see the video.”