A Roanoke man was arrested Wednesday after he was released from a hospital where he was recovering from injuries he suffered while allegedly trying to rob a taxi driver.

William Lee Craft Jr., 46, was released by doctors at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and was then charged by officers with attempted robbery, said Aisha Johnson, a police spokeswoman.

About 8 p.m. Monday, a 41-year-old driver of a Yellow Cab minivan picked up Craft at Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital, according a police news release.

Craft told the driver to take him to an alley less than a mile away between Franklin Road and Elm Avenue, the news release said.

There, Craft physically assaulted the driver and demanded money. The driver began driving and deliberately crashed into the fire station at the intersection of Franklin Road and Elm Avenue in an attempt to escape from the suspect, police said.

Several neighbors said they heard tires squealing, a crash and then screams.

John Small, who lives in a next-door apartment, said on Monday night that he heard a man shouting: "Call the police. Do not let the guy in my cab out. He's trying to kill me."

The driver was also taken to the hospital. Neither his name nor his condition were released Wednesday. Yellow Cab Services of Roanoke, Inc., officials did not return requests for an interview.

-- Jorge Valencia