Felix Mai, 62, a taxi driver of Corozal, is lucky to be alive after he was held up by two armed robbers, who attempted to rob and kill him at about 12:15 Saturday morning, October 5, at Baeza Layout area in Corozal.

Mai managed to escape after he hit one of the robbers – the one who was choking him from behind, with his head, and struggled with the next robber, who took out a knife and was attempting to stab him in the stomach.

As a result, Mai received scratches on the abdomen and on the jaw, but he succeeded in opening the car door and escaping from the vehicle. He then ran for help from some men who were in the area. Upon seeing this, the two bandits quickly jumped out of the car and ran into the bushes.

Mai, a taxi driver of Jabin Street, told police that he was at the taxi stand at the Central Park, along with other taxi operators who were working that night, when about 9:30 two men approached and requested that he take them from the Corozal Central Park to C& B Bar located in the Baeza Layout area, Corozal Town.

Mai reported that he drove them on the San Andres Road to Baeza Layout, and that upon reaching the lane that leads to C&B Bar, one of the men told him that they were not going to C&B Bar, and ordered him to continue driving on San Andres road, which he did.

Mai said that he did not panic. As he was about to drive away from the C&B Bar area, however, the robber in the back seat suddenly grabbed his neck and began choking him, while the other bandit who was sitting in the front passenger seat took out a knife and tried to stab him.

Remaining calm, Mai suddenly braked the car and turned the vehicle sideways, causing the robber behind him to lurch forward. He quickly put his head in the way of the robber’s face, and struggled with the other robber who was trying to stab him.

Police later went to the scene of the incident, but could not find the two bandits.