Uber driver dies after passenger allegedly shot him suspecting she'd been kidnapped
A 52-year-old Uber driver has died in El Paso, Texas, after a passenger allegedly pulled out a gun and shot him on suspicion of kidnapping her.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of June 16 on the US 54 Southbound.
According to a release from El Paso police, 48-year-old Phoebe Copas was arrested in the fatal shooting of Daniel Piedra Garcia. Copas was charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily harm — a second-degree felony.
She was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a bond of US$1,000,000.
Garcia was critically wounded at the shooting and was taken off life support later. His wife, Ana Piedra, created an online fundraiser a week ago, which has surpassed its goal of US$30,000.
In the GoFundMe’s details, Ana said her husband had been taken off life support, and the funds collected would be used to pay for hospital and funeral expenses.
She added that Garcia was the sole provider for his family and could not work for a while due to a knee injury he sustained at his last job. On April 18, he had knee surgery and was thrilled to be able to work again.
Currently, the fundraiser stands at nearly US$71,000.
Daily Hive contacted Uber for a statement on the matter.
“We are horrified by the rider’s actions. Our thoughts are with Mr. Garcia’s loved ones, and have been in touch with his family,” Uber said in an email. “Violence is not tolerated on the Uber platform, and we banned the rider as soon as we were made aware of what occurred. Our Public Safety Team stands at the ready to assist the police as needed.”
Uber’s in-app safety features allow users to contact police via phone or text in an emergency. Authorities can then access the passenger’s real-time location and trip information to help out.