An Uber driver in San Francisco allegedly hit a passenger on the head with a hammer and fractured his skull after an argument over routes.
SFGate has the details of a violent altercation between a customer riding with two friends in an UberX vehicle whose driver who was arrested and charged with assault early Tuesday.
Court documents show that Patrick Karajah, 26, forced the three passengers out of the car before striking the man with a hammer and driving away. Police found the man with severe head fractures and coming in and out of consciousness according to SFGate. Karajah pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.
Here’s Uber statement on the matter:
Safety is Uber’s #1 priority. We take reports like this seriously and are treating the matter with the utmost urgency and care. It is also our policy to immediately suspend a driver’s account following any serious allegations, which we have done. We stand ready to assist authorities in any investigation.
Back in June, another Uber driver allegedly attacked and struck a passenger. That driver, Daveea Whitmire, had a criminal history, including felony and misdemeanor charges.
District attorneys in San Francisco and Los Angeles penned a letter to Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar this week, accusing the companies of misleading customers because they do not complete thorough background checks that properly screen out drivers who “have ever committed driving violations, DUI, sexual assault and other criminal offenses.”
