Boston Police say an Uber buyer strangled the driving force and stole her automotive within the South Finish.
“What this driver experienced is terrifying,” Uber mentioned by way of a spokesperson. “We’ve been in contact with the driver to check on their wellbeing and are thankful to law enforcement for their quick action. We are standing by to assist however we can in their investigation.”
The Uber driver informed police that she had picked up a rider in Cambridge and that when the automotive stopped on the intersection of Massachusetts and Columbus avenues someday earlier than 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, she “felt a cord or wire tighten around her neck, obstructing her breathing.”
A witness on the scene mentioned that the driving force was combating an individual within the again seat of the car earlier than the driving force escaped the automotive and the particular person within the again moved ahead and drove the automotive away.
The sufferer’s cellphone was nonetheless within the automotive so police say they tracked its location to the world of Stanwood Road and Blue Hill Avenue, the place police had been in a position to cease it and arrest Christopher Dawkins, 24, of Dorchester.
Dawkins faces costs of carjacking, strangulation, assault and battery by the use of a harmful weapon and receiving a stolen motorized vehicle.
Uber informed the Herald that’s has banned the rider account related to Dawkins. The corporate provides that it employs a employees of former legislation enforcement professionals to work with police to reply to emergencies and to help in investigations.
Uber, which began in San Francisco in 2009, in keeping with the corporate’s historical past web page, says it has developed plenty of security options through the years.
Options highlighted by an Uber spokesperson embody an emergency button a person can press that calls 911 and sends real-time location and journey info with legislation enforcement, a function built-in in additional than 1,800 jurisdictions.
Different driver security options embody an expander “Rider Verification” system if drivers would favor customers who’ve undergone extra verification steps, non-obligatory audio and video recording of a journey, and a “live help” function that connects with a “safety agent” for conditions that don’t instantly require emergency response however might.
It is a growing story.
