By Alicia Draus/CHAT (@CHATTVadraus on Twitter)

Concerns about taxi driver safety in Medicine Hat

Nov 28, 2016 | 5:53 AM

MEDICINE HAT – A man wanted in connection to a recent sexual assault is now in custody.

According to police, a female cab driver was assaulted and driven to Calgary against her will Thursday, Nov. 24. 28-year-old Shawn Baldhead was arrested Sunday in Calgary. Medicine Hat Police say Baldhead was known to police.

“It just breaks my heart,” says local cab driver and colleague of the victim, Ashley Eresma. “It’s just really sad, nobody should have to go through that.”

It happened shortly after the driver dropped off a customer. The man allegedly overtook her, then drove to riverside where she was sexually assaulted and then taken to Calgary where she eventually escaped.

The woman, a single mother, is now back in Medicine Hat. She’s off work while she recovers. To help, Eresman has created a Go Fund me page and the community has been quick to step up.

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“Obviously we can’t fix the emotional part but whatever we can do to help pay her bills and get her through this time is what we want to do,” she says.

The attack has led many in the community to question what safety measures are in place to protect drivers, especially since the woman was taken all the way to Calgary. Management at Delux Taxis declined an interview and said for safety reasons they could not talk about safety measures in place.

Manager of Care Cabs, Doug Glock, aslo said he couldn’t go into too much detail for safety reasons.

“Every taxi has a GPS system in it,” he says. “So we are able to track our vehicles wherever they go whenever they are in Alberta, Saskatchewan.”

Glock has worked in the industry for over 30 years says he was shocked to hear what happened, but he admitted that no safety measure can be full proof.

“100 per cent prevented, I don’t think you can, you just hope things go well and you use your safety measures at your disposal.”

Gayle Dillman understands that first hand. She says she was attacked when she drove a cab in the 90s.

“He grabbed hold of me while I was driving and tried to pull off my clothes while I was driving,” Dillman recalls.

She managed to get out of the situation but says driving for the public can be dangerous.

“There’s no safety net, that’s what makes me nervous.”

Glock says they are always looking into new safety measures like adding in glass between drivers and customers, but says it takes away from the personal touch.

“99 percent of our customers are great people, you always have that 1 percent or fraction of 1 percent that is not honourable.”

Eresman says what happened to her friend will not deter her from driving a cab. She believes this was a one time incident. However she says her biggest worry is that the justice system will let him out.

“Police officers, they come out and do a good job of arresting them but they just get thrown back out on the street.”