PUBLISHED ONJune 22, 2026 8:10 AMBYKhoo Yi-HangDespite breaking traffic laws, a taxi driver in Wuhan, China, was awarded by police for his life-saving act.
Wang Tao rushed a sick child to the hospital after her family brought her to him, Hong Kong publication South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Sunday (June 21).
He even drove against the flow of traffic to save time, running red lights and driving on emergency lanes, Beijing Daily reported.
Early this month, a girl known as Yanyan lost consciousness amid a high fever, and the ambulance was unable to reach her due to evening rush hour traffic.
Rushing the three-year-old out of their home, the family approached Wang, who had just picked up two passengers at the time.
Seeing the child in critical condition, the duo gave up their seats to the family and Yanyan, reports said.
Wang immediately contacted police to inform them of the situation, requesting police to keep his route clear.
In response, traffic police activated emergency protocols and took control of traffic lights along Wang's route, turning them green as he passed through.
Officers were also deployed at intersections to assist with traffic, Beijing Daily reported.
But Wang soon found himself stuck in traffic.
Despite shouting at drivers to give way, nobody obliged.
He eventually abandoned his vehicle and telling the family: "Give me the child, I run faster than you."
With Yanyan in his arms, Wang reportedly sprinted about 200 metres before finding a motorist on an electric scooter.
"Brother, please help me," he told the rider.
The rider quickly gave up his scooter, allowing Wang to weave through traffic and reach the hospital within 30 minutes.
Yanyan was later declared out of danger, SCMP reported.
Yanyan's family reached out to Wang to reward him, but the taxi driver reportedly refused.
"Helping someone in a crisis is instinctive. I will continue to stay true to my values, bring warmth to an ordinary job and do my best to help those in need," he said.
After learning of Wang's heroics, his taxi company reportedly gave him a 1,000 yuan (S$190) bonus, while Alibaba Foundation and a local newspaper gave him another 5,000 yuan, according to SCMP.
Jianghan district's traffic police presented Wang with a certificate of honour, while Wuhan's municipal government and taxi association visited Wang to congratulate him on his good deed, Beijing Daily reported.
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