Melbourne man pens tribute to taxi driver ‘hero’

A MELBOURNE man made an emotional tribute to an “unsung hero”, who helped a woman mowed down on Bourke St on Friday.

A YOUNG Melbourne man has penned an emotional tribute to an “unsung hero” by the name of ‘Lou’, who came to the aid of a woman who was mowed down by a maroon car on Friday.

Henry Dow wrote the powerful piece to praise Lou the taxi driver — who selflessly helped him through the ordeal after he was left shaken.

“Lou grabbed my hand and firmly told me to keep it together, that I was OK and that we needed to keep strong for this woman,’ Mr Dow wrote on his Facebook page, alongside an image of himself and Lou nursing a women who had been struck by the car.

“In a level and loud voice, Lou barked orders at other pedestrians standing by, having not fled, but still too stunned to think or move.

“He directed assistance to several of the victims laying on the pavement around us, all while keeping me calm and speaking lovingly to this woman: “I am Lou, you are going to be OK, we are looking after you”.’

Mr Dow described Lou as “everything great and courageous you have seen, heard or read, rolled into one authentically humble bloke” and that at first, he thought Lou was a paramedic or policeman.

“It kept going through my head, “thank f**k I lucked out and have an emergency services veteran here with me,” Mr Dow wrote.

“Surely Lou was Ambulance, Police or SAS. Lou was not.

“Lou, in his white shirt and neat dark tie, was a taxi driver.

“In our small story, of this much bigger tragedy, Lou took command and was a genuine hero.”

Young Melbourne man Henry Dow has praised the ‘unsung heroes’ of the Melbourne rampage.

Five people, including a three-month old baby boy and 10-year-old Thalia Hakin, died after being struck by the maroon car, allegedly driven by Dimitrious ‘Jimmy’ Gargasoulas. The car also hit and killed Sydney woman Jess Mudie, 22, who was visiting Melbourne, and young father Matthew Si.

Mr Dow continued his post by describing how there was “no evil on Bourke street” when the rampage occurred.

“We have all seen images and opinions flood the media over the past 24 hours. If you feel like shaking your head and feeling sad for the state of humanity, I implore you: Don’t,” he wrote.

“Their (sic) was no evil on Bourke street yesterday; one sick young man did a terrible thing, and hundreds responded with the love and sense of community that makes Melbourne such a beautiful city, and Victoria such a great State.

“There was only kindness in the voices of the police who came to relieve us.

“I felt only love when an older man hugged me, having just told a father he had lost a daughter.

“Many images and sounds will stay with me much longer than I might like, but I am glad to have seen, and hope I never forget, just how brave and loving strangers can be.

“Daniel Andrews our capital city owes a great debt of gratitude to Lou for what he did yesterday.

“I love this city.”