ATLANTA — A woman says when a passenger told her Uber driver she was ending the ride, the driver lost it and attacked her.
Doctors told Tylasha Strother she has a fractured back, and has to wear neck brace, after, she says, her Uber driver hit her and another woman with her car.
“It’s not like she hit me and then she stopped. She hit me and then she kept going,” Tylasha Strother said.
Strother says she flew into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from New York Thursday night for the holiday weekend and used Uber's ride sharing option.
When the second passenger got into the car at the airport, she says they both noticed the Uber driver was talking to herself.
“She was, like, doing sign language but it was weird because she wasn't talking to anyone,” Strother said.
When the driver arrived at Strother's destination at the Berkley Heights Apartments on Northside Drive, the other passenger got out as well.
“She was, like, ‘I'm sorry. I just don't feel comfortable riding with you,’” Strother said.
Strother said the Uber driver was offended, and started yelling.
“It kinda got physical and the Uber driver took the passenger's phone and threw it on the floor,” Strother said.
That’s when she says the Uber driver sped off, hitting her and the other woman.
“If I didn't land on my duffle bag, I probably wouldn't be here today,” Strother said.
Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes spoke to a witness who was in a nearby shopping plaza and saw the whole thing happen. He said he saw the drier hit them and then leave them in the street.
Uber sent Fernandes a statement, saying, “This incident was already brought to our attention through our 2-way feedback loop that requires the rider to rate the driver and vice versa. Through that, we began an investigation and the driver was deactivated."
Fernandes went by the driver’s home to get a comment, but no one answered the door.
Atlanta police are investigating the case.
“They need to arrest her. Like, she needs to pay for what she did,” Strother said.