An Uber driver was attacked by a woman in Queens.
The incident took place last Thursday around 11:30 p.m. on 86th Avenue and Cross Island Parkway in Bellerose. NYPD officials reported that the driver, 52, was picking up his passengers and said that a man got in the car first and then got out and asked the driver to wait.
When the male passenger returned to the car, a woman followed behind him and threw something at the hood of the car. She also held onto the car as the driver began to drive away. The woman later made her way to the passenger side of the car and allegedly punched the driver in the face and body a few times. The male passenger then got out of the car as well.
After gaining control of the wheel, the woman drove on 86th Avenue and crashed into a few parked cars before hitting a tree. The unknown woman driver would then run away, according to the police.
The Uber driver suffered from some pain and got a cut on his lip. He was taken to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in stable condition. The woman is described as being 5 feet tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds.
The executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, Bhairavi Desi spoke on the incident and said, “Almost on a weekly basis, we get at least one incident reported to us. And I know we’re not even capturing all of the incidents.
She added, “When the crime is committed against a yellow cab or Uber or livery driver, the crime has to first be a felony in order for there to be an additional penalty enhancement, and that’s only if that sentencing reaches the maximum,” she said. “I think that there has to be far more education on the part of the city and the companies, particularly companies like Uber and Lyft, that can communicate with their passengers directly.”
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