The taxi spun in place like a top, its tires screeching against the asphalt in a deafening protest. The rear end whipped around, propelled by centrifugal force, and slammed directly into the concrete utility pole standing silently on the corner.
BOOM!
A thunderous crash echoed through the empty street, shattering the midnight silence. The trunk of the taxi was instantly crushed, folding like an accordion. The rear passenger compartment―where Matthew had been sitting―was flattened into a metal pancake, the utility pole embedded deep within the wreckage like a sword driven into a stone.
Glass shattered, raining down like diamonds on the pavement. Steam hissed from the ruptured radiator, creating a ghostly fog around the wreck. The smell of gasoline and burnt rubber filled the air.
One mi
