Woman says she jumped out of moving car after Lyft driver refused to stop

ATLANTA — A woman told Channel 2 Action News she feared for her life before jumping out of a moving car during a recent Lyft ride.

The passenger, who did not want to be identified, said her driver picked her up at 2 a.m. Sunday on 14th Street and Howell Mill Road. She wanted the driver to take her back to her car at Inman Park.

She said everything seemed normal until the driver started taking unexpected turns.

"When my intuition kicked in, I've got to save myself," she said. "My ride was supposed to be 10 to 15 minutes and I was in the car for close to 20 minutes and we were about seven to 10 minutes away."

She said once they reached Ralph McGill Boulevard and Central Park Place, she wanted to leave.

“I said, ‘Could you please pull the car over, I think I’m going to be sick,’” she said. “I felt the car accelerate, once I felt that car accelerate, I flipped out of the car, back to belly, then again over my head. It knocked the breath out of me.”

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She said the driver got out to check her injuries, then left.

"Anything could have happened to me," she said.

Witnesses called 911 for her and she filed a report with Atlanta police.

Channel 2's Matt Johnson contacted Lyft and a spokesperson sent the following statement:

"Safety is fundamental to Lyft. The behavior described is unacceptable and has no place in our community. We have permanently banned the driver and been in touch with the passenger to offer our support. We stand ready to assist law enforcement."

The passenger said it will take a couple weeks to recover from road rash and an injured back but she said jumping may have saved her from real harm.

“I asked him to stop the car and he didn't. For me, that right there signals I should not have been in that car,” she said.

Channel 2 Action News is not naming the driver because he has not been charged with a crime.

The woman said she plans to monitor the GPS on her phone more closely when traveling with ride-share drivers.

Cox Media Group