AN unlicensed private-hire taxi driver who dragged a police officer for more than 100 meters after being stopped for cutting across lanes on a busy road has been charged with disturbing the public order, prosecutors in Minhang District said yesterday.

　　The incident happened last month as the cabby, surnamed Lai, was traveling along Qixin Road with a woman passenger. The driver realized he was in the wrong lane and so swerved across four lanes of traffic to make his junction, prosecutors said.

　　A police officer, surnamed Zhou, spotted the move and flagged Lai down and asked him to produce his license.

　　When the driver refused, the officer leaned inside the vehicle to take the ignition key, at which point Lai accelerated away with Zhou still hanging on to the door frame.

　　The police officer fell from the car after about 100 meters. Lai told his passenger to get out and then sped away.

　　The woman, surnamed Peng, told police that Lai worked for the Dida Pinche taxi service app and gave them her booking details, which included the driver’s mobile phone number.

　　When police called Lai, he admitted his crime and handed himself in, prosecutors said, adding that the driver said he fled the scene as we was afraid of being caught without a valid license.

　　Zhou suffered bruising to his arms and legs, but was not seriously hurt in the incident, police said.