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The advent of rideshare services has revolutionized urban transportation, offering convenience and flexibility to millions of users. However, this innovation has not come without its challenges and dangers. In 2023, a deeply concerning trend of assaults related to rideshare services came to light, underscoring the urgent need for increased safety measures and vigilance.
At J&Y Law Firm, we are dedicated to raising awareness about these serious issues and advocating for the victims of such crimes. This article dives into some of the most disturbing rideshare assaults of 2023, examining the circumstances surrounding these incidents and the broader implications for passenger safety and trust in rideshare services.
Each case we discuss is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that can exist in ridesharing situations. From drivers to passengers, the range of assaults reported in 2023 has been both alarming and eye-opening. Through this article, we aim to not only shed light on these harrowing experiences but also to educate the public on the importance of safety precautions and to encourage rideshare companies to strengthen their safety protocols.
Our analysis goes beyond the statistics, giving a voice to the victims and exploring the legal recourse available to them. At J&Y Law Firm, we believe in the power of informed action and legal advocacy to drive positive change. By highlighting these cases, we hope to contribute to a safer and more secure ridesharing environment for all.
Rideshare app safety statistics
- Uber has released two safety reports to date. The first report detailed incidents between 2017 and 2018 and the second report detailed incidents between 2019 and 2020. Both reports can be viewed at https://www.uber.com/us/en/about/reports/us-safety-report/.
- Lyft has released one safety report showing information about incidents from 2017 to 2019. The report can be viewed at https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/lyfts-community-safety-report.
- Between 2019 and 2020, a total of 101 individual fatalities occurred across 91 Uber-related crashes.
- In 2019 and 2020, 20 fatalities occurred due to physical assault incidents involving Uber rides. Of these fatalities, 75% were riders, and 25% were drivers.
- In 2019 there were 49 fatalities involving Lyft vehicles and 59 involving Uber.
- In 2019 there were 1,807 sexual assaults reported by Lyft passengers and 2,826 reported by Uber passengers.
- In 2018, there were 3,638 total serious injury crashes involving Uber. Of those, 2,061 resulted in injuries that required hospitalization.
As you can see sexual assaults far outnumber fatal assaults on Ridesharing apps.
The most disturbing ridesharing assaults of 2023
Lyft driver arrested, accused of sexually assaulting minor in Aurora
A 38-year-old rideshare driver faces charges of sexual assault of a minor after being accused of assaulting a 13-year-old rider in May.
Shengfu Wu, 38, was working for Lyft when he allegedly picked up a 13-year-old girl as a passenger and sexually assaulted her in the early hours of May 13, according to a news release from the Aurora Police Department. The girl told police she was sexually assaulted soon after the ride and Wu was arrested the next day, according to the release.
Prior to the ride, the girl had been with friends at a park in Aurora, according to the arrest affidavit. She used another person’s Lyft account to request the ride at about 1:45 a.m. Police used the Lyft receipt to find Wu.
Lyft requires passengers to be 18 or older to sign up for an account and states that drivers may cancel trips if a passenger is under 18 years of age, and may ask riders to confirm their age. Wu told police the passenger told him she was 18, according to the affidavit. He also told police he pulled the vehicle over and then had sexual contact he believed was consensual with her, according to the affidavit.
Wu has been charged in Arapahoe County District Court with a class four felony, which is punishable by up to six years in prison. He has been released on a $50,000 bond. Wu’s attorney, Ryan Robertson, with Robinson & Henry, noted the seriousness of the allegations, and that his client had “fully cooperated” with the investigation.
“Our client remains innocent until proven guilty,” Robertson said. “These are obviously extraordinarily serious, extraordinarily inflamed charges. Certainly, anytime there’s any sort of allegation of a crime against a minor, that causes people, I think generally, to rush to judgment. Our client fully cooperated with the investigation here, and we look forward to our client having his day in court.”
A spokesperson for Lyft called the allegations “reprehensible” and said the company permanently banned Wu from the platform. They said the company has been in contact with law enforcement to help with the investigation.
Aurora police believe there may be others who had unwanted sexual contact from Wu and asks possible victims to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Robertson, Wu’s attorney, said he had not been provided with any information to substantiate that concern. (source)
Bond raised for former Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting his customers
Bond has been raised for a former Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting his customers.
Cesar Martell was charged with attempted sexual assault in December 2023. The following month, two more sexual assault charges were added after prosecutors said DNA linked him to other cases.
The 29-year-old suspect faced a judge last Friday for the two additional felony charges. That’s when his bond was raised to a total of $600,000 for all three of his sexual assault charges.
Initial attack
In June 2021, a woman told police she had just left a nightclub and a man picked her up while she was walking along Highway 59. The man soon stopped the car, locked the doors and then climbed on top of her, she described. The woman said she fought back but that’s when the man began choking her. She said she managed to kick him, get to the back seat then run for help. Martell was identified as the suspect in this case and charged with attempted sexual assault in December 2023.
Other attacks
According to prosecutors, DNA evidence now ties Martell to two sexual assault investigations from May 2023. In those cases, Martell reportedly worked as an Uber driver and the victims were unsuspecting customers.
“As an Uber driver this is someone, they thought they had reason to trust,” said Harris County Assistant District Attorney Barbara Phillips. “For someone who is in that vulnerable trusting position to be taken advantage of, it’s terrifying.”
Uber deleted Martell from its platform as soon as it heard about the allegations, and they’d contacted police.
Prosecutors believe there could be even more victims.
“We are always hopeful that if someone has been a victim, whether it’s a sexual assault of any other crime, please reach out to your local police department and the sheriff’s office,” said Phillips. “Reach out, get help, let us know what’s going on, and let us be able to continue this investigation.”
As of Tuesday, Martell remains in jail. If he bonds out, part of his bond conditions includes no contact with the victims. He’s also not allowed to work for a ride-sharing service. His next court date is set for March 26, 2024. (source)
Uber passenger argues with driver, assaults him before walking into traffic, getting hit, police say
A woman was critically injured late Friday night after she argued with her Uber driver, assaulted him and then walked into traffic, according to San Antonio police. It happened just after 10 p.m. in the 8500 block of Northwest Military Drive.
The Uber driver told police that the 21-year-old woman was intoxicated and started arguing with him. He said the woman slapped him from behind while he was driving, so he pulled over and told the woman to get out of the car.
The woman broke the windshield and door handle of the Uber vehicle, cursed at him, and then walked into the lane of traffic when the driver called 911, according to police. The woman was hit by a passing vehicle. The driver of that vehicle stopped to render aid and was not intoxicated or impaired, police said.
The woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Police said she will be charged with assault and criminal mischief for the attack against the Uber driver and his vehicle. (source)
Uber driver claims she ‘fought for her life’ after alleged attack by passenger in Miami
Police are reminding rideshare app drivers to call them if dealing with an unruly passenger. Miami police made the statement after they were called to a scene early Monday morning involving an Uber driver and her passenger.
Police said they received a call of two women fighting and upon arrival, discovered that both had injuries from an altercation that occurred near the intersection of Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 82nd Street.
Solange Pace, the Uber driver who is also an artist and yoga instructor, told Local 10 News that she drives for Uber to raise money for her personal philanthropy causes and was “fighting for her life” after a belligerent passenger first refused to leave her vehicle. “I have never had to fight for my life. Like, this is not my thing,” said Pace. “It was like out of a horror movie.”
The incident report states that the passenger became verbally aggressive towards Pace and demanded her to drive faster when she began recording the incident on her cellphone. “She was very angry, and I guess I was her next target,” Pace said. “After demanding for me to go faster, I turned around and explained I don’t work for her, and at that point, she would have to step out of my car, so I pulled over.”
Moments later, an argument ensued between both individuals, which caused Pace to stop her vehicle and ask the passenger to exit, at which point she declined, the report stated. Pace told police after the passenger refused to exit her vehicle, she opened the back door and threw her belongings out of the Tesla.
Police said this led to a physical altercation which led Pace to sustain a twisted knee, neck, broken breast implant and multiple cuts on her face. Pace said after bleeding from the cuts on her face, she managed to crawl back to her Tesla and as she locked her door, the passenger, who was wearing a short skirt and looking “naked” and angry leaped onto the hood of her car. “She climbed on the windshield, and she is like smacking the glass and grabbing onto the wipers,” said Pace. “I am reversing, I slam on the breaks, she falls, and I see the scrapes on her knees.”
“I thought she was going to go fetch her stuff so I could get her out of my car but instead she grabbed me by my hair,” she added. “My glasses got completely destroyed against the floor. I started seeing blurry because she was kicking me on my chest. That’s the moment I am telling her ‘I have heart problems and I need to make it home to my kids,”’ added Pace.
Pace told Local 10 News that doctors had to glue her face to repair the extensive damage.
After not being able to determine who the primary aggressor was in the incident, no one was charged or arrested. Miami Police Officer Mike Vega, who responded to the incident, told Local 10 News that the case was sent to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office for further review. “The state attorney’s office will be able to review any video or get statements from both parties to determine who was the primary aggressor. If they can make that determination, and then proceed with charges, that is where we would get back involved in the case,” said Vega. Pace said she plans to meet with prosecutors to pursue the matter.
“I have to, I have to, I mean, I have nothing to hide. What happened is what happened, and I wish this doesn’t happen to anybody,” she said. Miami police offered safety tips for rideshare drivers to prevent any further incidents like Pace’s from occurring.
“Rideshare drivers, if you get involved in something similar, an unruly passenger, please let us handle it. What you can do is turn off your vehicle, get away from the vehicle while you are calling police, just in case the passenger wants to make any type of aggression towards you,” said Vega.
Vega also explained why an arrest wasn’t made following the incident. “The officers who arrived on scene saw injuries on both parties by seeing this he could not determine who the actual primary aggressor is,” he said. “The Uber driver committed a crime by removing the items so when he put it together, he felt like he didn’t have enough to make an arrest, so he documented it, notified our detectives, and referred them to the state attorney’s office.”
“Just because an arrest is not made on the scene doesn’t mean an arrest is not going to be made or charges are not forthcoming depending on if the state attorney’s office has enough documentation to make a determination,” he added. (source)
Woman punches, scratches Uber driver during sexual assault in St. Pete, docs say
A woman who was allegedly touched inappropriately by an Uber driver earlier this month fought off the attack by punching and scratching the driver, according to an affidavit. Jose Antonio Canales Sanchez picked up the woman on Nov. 1 in St. Petersburg, police said.
The woman told police she remembers Sanchez repeatedly making comments to her about her appearance, according to the affidavit. She said he parked his car and got back into the car through the back seat where she was sitting.
Sanchez allegedly got out of the car after inappropriately touching her and unbuttoned his pants, according to the affidavit. The woman then punched Sanchez in the face multiple times and scratched him, according to the document. Sanchez reportedly got out of the car and ran to a nearby house.
The woman showed police screenshots of the Uber driver from her phone that had the display name “Jose” and a picture of his face, as well as the receipt for the trip, according to officials. Police said the Chevrolet Suburban that was listed on the Uber receipt was registered to Sanchez, and the photo of him in the screenshots resembled what was in the Driver and Vehicle Information Database, according to the affidavit.
During a recorded interview with police, Sanchez said he remembered the trip, but denied having any physical contact with the woman. However, detectives noticed scratches on his arms and then found more on his back, matching what the woman told detectives happened, according to the affidavit. Sanchez is charged with sexual battery and false imprisonment. (source)
Uber passenger who attacked Nashville driver ID’d as Franklin realtor
A dash camera video obtained by WSMV4 shows an Uber driver being attacked by an irate passenger. WSMV4 is now learning more about the man behind the assault. Steven Wade Shalibu, 57, is a local Franklin real estate agent and builder. He’s charged with felony aggravated assault. Shalibu, also known as Steven Shalibo, according to arrest records, is seen taking the Uber driver’s phone and nearly putting him in a headlock. Police said Shalibu later knocked Reginald Pierre unconscious off camera.
Google results, a Zillow profile and deleted LinkedIn profile tie Shalibu to multiple real estate firms, including Bob Parks Realty in Franklin, among other firms, including builders StoneBridge Homes.
Records show Shalibu was previously a licensed contractor with Accessible Home Construction, until his license expired within the last year. He has since been scrubbed from the firms’ websites. Bob Parks Realty confirmed he no longer works there.
Court records show Shalibu also has a prior criminal history. He was charged with aggravated assault by strangulation in 2021, but the case was dismissed at the request of the state on Aug. 11, 2021. His Zillow profile shows he sold homes as recently as 2022.
Pierre said the most recent assault happened in May after Shalibu got upset Pierre allowed a female passenger with him to get out of the Uber. Pierre, who immigrated from Haiti more than 30 years ago, told WSMV4 he still doesn’t feel 100% after the attack and suffers from a sore neck and back. An injury to his hand during the attack kept him off the road for three weeks.
“The doctor told me you’re lucky nothing is broken, but you’re going to be sore for a while, and she was right,” Pierre said. “Once I got home, my body couldn’t move, and I felt heavy.” WSMV4 called Shalibu seeking comment on his latest arrest. He responded: “No comment.” He also said he wouldn’t comment on whether he was still a realtor. (source)
‘I honestly thought I was going to die’: Lyft driver recalls violent passenger attack
EXCLUSIVE: Lyft driver recalls violent passenger attack
- December 21, 2023, on Plank Road, a Lyft driver says he experienced what most rideshare workers fear. He says he was violently attacked by a passenger.
- Thursday afternoon, Terrence Lindsey appeared in Winnebago County Court on charges of substantial battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, and obstructing an officer in this case.
- Watch the video to see dashcam footage from the night of the attack at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Q7hn-HF4Q.
December 21, 2023, on Plank Road, a Lyft driver says he experienced what most rideshare workers fear. He says he was violently attacked by a passenger. “On Thursday I was attacked by this ride-sharing passenger. It was my first and last ride of the night,” said Lucas Breedlove.
Breedlove has an eye injury, a chipped tooth, facial fractures, foot fractures, a lot of bruising, and he’s healing from a concussion that’s left him with light sensitivity after an encounter with a Lyft rider last week.
But he says he’d rather it have been him than someone else. “Thankfully it wasn’t some, like, elderly person, or you know, somebody that was, had more of a petite build,” he said. “I have pretty close to just shy of 12,000 rides over the last eight years between both of the platforms,” said Breedlove, speaking of his experience driving for both Uber and Lyft.
“And has anything like this ever happened before?” I asked. “No,” he said. Breedlove said he’s had police help remove passengers who were too intoxicated to exit his ride themselves, but no unruliness has risen to this level of extreme with him before.
“I enjoyed providing a service to people, helping to try to keep drunk drivers off the road as well as help people get you know, pick up their prescriptions, pick up their groceries…,” said Breedlove. However, he says all it takes is one traumatic incident to end an eight-year career. “I don’t foresee myself giving any rides for a period of time, if not indefinitely,” he said. (source)
Lyft driver speaks out about attack by passenger
A Lyft driver says he feared for his life when a passenger lunged at him while on the road — grabbing, hitting, and choking him. The attack was caught on a dash camera video. For Lyft driver Shahadat, it started like any other ride. He drove Maura Wooley, 66, home to Queens from a New Hyde Park bar around 10 p.m. Eight minutes into the ride, without any prior provocation, he said she attacked him.
“I guess I have no choice, do I?” she’s heard on video mumbling to herself. That’s when the drive turned dangerous. Wooley put her hands on the driver in his 50s. “I will f—ing rip your face off! I will rip your f—ing face off!” she said. The Queens woman nearly climbed into the front seat and unleashed a verbal and physical tirade, the video shows.
Shahadat said he was terrified and drove, panicked, for about 2 more minutes until he could flag down a passerby for help. “Brother, call police. Hello, hello!” he exclaimed out the window. He said she continued to choke him. “When she choked me and had my hair. She tried to move my glasses from my face, grab my face,” he told PIX11 News at his home on Thursday.
Shahadat is a husband and father, and the sole provider for his family. But he says he hasn’t been able to sleep or bring himself to go back to work. “Why she attack me? I do nothing,” he said. His son also spoke out on Thursday with the hope of bringing awareness to the dangers of the job.
“I was hearing my dad scream loudly for help for his life. I’m glad we spoke out. It got community support and attention,” Asm, 20, said. Wooley’s daughter told PIX11 she has no history of mental illness and believes her mother was severely intoxicated. The woman woke up in the hospital after the episode. She was arrested and charged with attempted assault, obstruction of breathing, and harassment.
If ever in danger, Lyft urges drivers to utilize the panic button on the app. In a statement, a spokesperson said: “The behavior described has no place on the Lyft platform. We have reached out to the driver to offer our support, deactivated the ride requestor’s account from the platform and stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation.”
Wooley was issued a desk appearance ticket and will be summonsed to court at a later date. (source)
Call a California Ridesharing AttorneyToday
As we reflect on the unsettling incidents detailed in “The 8 Most Disturbing Rideshare Assaults of 2023,” it’s crucial to remember that the aftermath of such experiences extends beyond the immediate shock and trauma. For those who have suffered from ridesharing assaults, finding a path to recovery and justice is essential. Legal support and guidance can be a significant step towards healing and holding the responsible parties accountable.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a ridesharing assault, you don’t have to navigate the aftermath alone. The J&Y Law Firm in Los Angeles, CA, specializes in assisting victims of such incidents. Our experienced team is dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive support to help you through this challenging time. We understand the complexities involved in ridesharing cases and are committed to advocating for your rights and well-being.
For a free consultation to discuss your case and explore your options, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (323) 202-2305. At J&Y Law Firm, we believe in justice and support for all victims, and we’re here to help you take the first step towards recovery and resolution.