Taxi Driver Reportedly Locks Woman in Trunk After Fare Fight

A German taxi driver allegedly locked a female passenger in the trunk for five hours after a dispute over a fare turned ugly.

The 32-year-old passenger was traveling home in the northern city of Hamburg early Sunday morning when she accused the driver of taking a detour to increase the fare.

The driver, 57, allegedly attacked the woman, punching her in the face and pushing her inside the trunk. He parked the vehicle outside his house, and left the passenger trapped inside, the newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost reported.

The woman called the police on her cell phone, and was freed five hours later when passers-by heard her cries for help coming from the back of the vehicle.

The driver was detained Monday after a manhunt. The passenger was hospitalized, suffering from shock and severe bruising on her arms and legs.