San Diego

A cabdriver was stabbed during an apparent robbery Tuesday morning in South San Diego, then crashed his cab while driving for help, police said.

William Schleiger, 58, was in serious condition at UC San Diego Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said, with numerous stab wounds in the chest.

Schleiger, who drives for American Cab Co., was attacked in the 2900 block of Palm Avenue about 2 a.m., police spokesman Bill Robinson said. He attempted to drive to a nearby hospital, but lost consciousness and ran his cab into a building in the 600 block of H Street in Chula Vista.

Chula Vista police found Schleiger slumped inside his wrecked cab and took him to Scripps Memorial Hospital in Chula Vista. He was later transferred to UC San Diego Medical Center.

No suspects were in custody Tuesday and police did not know if Schleiger’s attacker was a customer or if any money was taken.

Schleiger has leased his taxi from the American Cab Co. in Linda Vista for the past five years, said Robert Dinkins, a dispatcher for the company. Schleiger’s stabbing was the first known serious attack on an American Cab driver, he said.