A Cape Town Uber driver has been taken into custody following an incident where a woman sustained injuries after allegedly jumping from a moving vehicle to escape a kidnapping attempt.
The 28-year-old victim is now seeking compensation from the e-hailing service, Uber, to cover the damages incurred during the ordeal.
The incident occurred on the evening of May 26, as the woman was returning home from a late shift as a waitress at a Blouberg restaurant.
She recounted that around 9:30 PM, she requested an Uber ride home.
“I made sure that the details on my phone matched with the driver who came to pick me up. I gave him my Uber driver my four-digit pin which was 4955. I had set it in my app so that the driver can use it to start the trip,”
she said.
As the driver passed her house, she was about to alert him when he suddenly called out her name, pulled out a gun, and threatened to shoot her if she moved.
The woman explained that the driver demanded money, and when she informed him that she had none, he allegedly took her phone and drove to a secluded, dark road along the beach.
“I had my house keys with my knuckle dusters shaped like a cat, I don’t think he knew it was a weapon, we had driven quite far at this point. He told me to give him my house keys and put my hands out so he could cable tie them.”
Concerned for her safety and that of her three-year-old daughter and 60-year-old mother-in-law, who were alone at home, she refused to hand over her house keys. Instead, she made a desperate decision to jump out of the moving car.
“I told him I won’t give him my house keys and I’m getting out the car. He told me I will get hurt if I did that and I told him I don’t care.”
A struggle ensued, during which the driver struck her with the gun while she used her knuckle dusters to defend herself.
“I continued to hit him with my knuckle dusters and kicked him. After that, I opened my door and stuck my foot out to see how fast the car was going and then I quickly jumped out,”
she described.
Upon hitting the pavement, she rolled into nearby bushes and ran until she reached the road, where she spent nearly an hour trying to find assistance to get to a hospital.
“I was bleeding and confused, there was blood coming from everywhere. I took my work shirt off and held it against my head just in case the bleeding was bad. Eventually a bus stopped and I asked the man to take me to hospital,”
she explained.
The driver was apprehended within two days, but the woman only managed to recover her engagement ring.
“But there’s been a mass of financial loss I endured due to this incident. I had to lose days at work because working at a restaurant is a no-work, no-pay rule. I also had to take fewer hours because I now fear travelling at night.”
She also highlighted the financial strain due to medical bills for her daughter’s condition, which she is now struggling to pay.
The victim shared a series of emails with journalists, revealing her communication with American International Group (AIG). In a message dated June 21, AIG stated it would only cover medical expenses, not other claims.
“We can only deal with the policy Uber has in place with our company. Medical costs incurred etc… The conduct of the driver has been dealt with by Uber itself. We await correspondence from your attorney as indicated,”
the email read.
Her medical bills remain unpaid.
Western Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Andrè Traut, confirmed the arrest of a 32-year-old suspect, who appeared in Cape Town Magistrates’ Court. The case was postponed to August 22, 2024.
Uber responded to the incident, stating,
“We are aware of the reported incident and we have zero tolerance for such behaviour. Where a driver is found to be in breach of our Community Guidelines, their access to the platform is immediately removed as the safety of everyone using the platform is a top priority. This remains an ongoing investigation and we are ready to assist the police as needed.”
