HAILING JANE’S TAXI HERO

Brian saves the day after pal suffers serious cut to her arm

A woman feared she would have bled to death had it not been for a friend’s driving skills.

Jane Brooks (56), from Kinlochard, faced a 30 mile journey to receive hospital treatment after suffering a serious cut to her wrist earlier this year. Jane had been enjoying a day out with friend Holly Nairn in the village on May 7 when she slipped while walking up some concrete stairs near to her home and a glass cut into her arm.

Luckily Holly’s partner Brian Boyle (41) was on hand, giving initial treatment to Jane before rushing her to Forth Valley Royal Hospital — a 50-minute drive away in Larbert.

“Brian was absolutely brilliant,” Jane told the Observer. “If it wasn’t for him, I probably would have bled to death. He was really fast moving and extremely calm.”

“I knew it was serious when I saw the

amount of blood and the colour of it,”said Brian.“I just did what came to me. I ran to her house, grabbed some dry cloths and also some cold wet cloths too.

“I tied it quickly round her wrist and tried to stop the bleeding. I think the drive took about 45 minutes, I was just trying to keep Jane with us and keep her talking.”

Jane needed stitches and an operation to repair the damage.

She said she can’t thank Brian and Holly enough for their help: “It’s good to have someone that can keep a level head in an emergency. There was no panic and Brian was really calm.”Brian has recently started a taxi service in rural Stirlingshire, Trossachs Cab Company, with business partner Stuart Hall and said he hopes to continue to be able to help the local community.

He previously worked as a bus driver but was the victim of a sustained assault on a bus near Edinburgh Zoo.

He said:“I was assaulted on my bus, and they needed to take me home on another bus.

“It just made me think I want to do something different, and people in the area were talking of the need for a taxi service.”