Beck Taxi driver beaten after demanding men pay $15 fare

A Beck Taxi driver suffered a severe beating overnight after he tried to get two men to pay for their $15 cab fare, Toronto police say.

Police say two men got into a cab near College and Clinton streets at about 1:15 a.m. on Sunday.

The men got out of the cab in the Bloor Street and Dundas Street West area, without paying for their ride.

Police say the cab driver "followed them and demanded payment," at which point he was attacked.

"They punched him in the face and when he fell down to the ground, they kicked him quite savagely," Det. Jason Waters told CBC News in an interview on Sunday.

The suspects were last seen heading north on Dorval Road.

Waters said the driver managed to make his way back to his cab after the attack. Another cab driver came upon the scene and ended up calling police on his behalf.

The taxi has identified the victim as veteran cab driver Maheswaren Iyampillai.

His employer is concerned for his well-being.

"He was in a bed and barely conscious, very groggy, in extreme pain," said Gail Beck-Souter.

"It just boggles the mind that anyone would think it was appropriate to attack a driver in this way."

Waters said that although the driver’s injuries are serious, it is believed that he is going to recover.

Police have issued the following descriptions of the suspects:

• A white male, approximately 18 to 20 years old. Clean-shaven with brown hair, he wore a dark, winter-style jacket and a baseball cap turned backwards.
• A white male, approximately 18 to 20 years old. Also clean-shaven with brown hair, he also had a winter-style jacket on. He also wore a baseball cap, though it was pointing forwards.

Police are looking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 416-808-1100.

Waters urged the suspects to turn themselves in and predicted that police will soon identify them.