ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOV) – News 4 warned rideshare drivers earlier this week about a rise in carjackings in East St. Louis.
However, it’s not just happening in the Metro East.
News 4 spoke to an Uber driver who wants to keep his name anonymous out of concern for his safety.
He was driving for Uber overnight consistently up until March, when he says the carjacking happened. Around 11:30 at night, he was carjacked by the rider at an apartment complex off Dunn Road in North St. Louis County.
“Had me go all the way to the back of the complex and once we were back there, I felt the cold of the metal of the gun against the back of my head,” he says.
His phone was also in the car when it was taken, leading to a neighbor calling the police for him.
Part of the FBI warning for rideshare drivers in East St. Louis earlier this week was that riders are creating fake profiles to target drivers.
He says in his case, the rider had hacked another user’s account. That’s why he’s asking people to be patient if they ask riders to give their name.
“If they don’t want to unlock the door until you’ve verified yourself, please don’t get upset about that,” he says.
The driver says he doesn’t drive overnight after that incident.
“If I get to that same section of Dunn road, I literally still start shaking,” he says. “I have to go offline and leave that area.”
The driver we spoke to hopes even more security layers will be added to protect both the drivers and the riders.
“We put our life on the line every time,” he says.
News 4 reached out to Uber for a response and received this statement that reads:
“Safety is a top priority at Uber. We’ve pioneered many of the safety features that are standard in the industry today, including an in-app emergency button, GPS tracking on every trip, and the ability for drivers to share their location in real-time with loved ones. Our work on safety is never finished, and we are committed to helping create safer communities for all.”
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