RICHMOND, Va. -- A couple livestreamed a “nightmare” Uber ride on Facebook as their driver was seen speeding through the streets of Richmond.
John Murray and Tameka Swann said they were picked up from their home just before 8 p.m. Monday for a night out on the town.
But shortly after pulling away, they said someone rear-ended their Uber.
“Our Uber attempted to pull over so that they exchange information, but the car didn’t stop behind us. They went around us and sped off, and that’s when our Uber sped off behind him,” Swann said.
Murray began to stream their trip on Facebook Live from the backseat.
“Nobody would’ve known that would’ve happened if I didn’t get that on camera,” he said.
The video showed the Uber driver call 911 and hand his cell phone to Swann. The couple pleaded for the driver to stop as he sped through stoplights and stop signs.
Video shows that the 911 dispatcher demanded the driver stop.
“The driver won’t let us out. He’s trying to catch the guy because he hit us,” Swann told the dispatcher.
The Uber driver then pulled onto West Broad Street and raced through several more red lights, according to the video.
Then, the couple said an SUV crashed into the side of their car at West Broad Street and Arthur Ashe Boulevard. The video showed the driver continuing to speed away, narrowly missing a bicyclist.
“I feel like he had tunnel vision. I feel like he didn’t focus on anything else,” Swann said.
The driver eventually stopped at West Marshall Street and Hermitage Road, where they met an officer.
“That was the scariest moment of my life,” Swann said. “I have never been that scared in my life. It was a nightmare.”
“Richmond Police detectives are investigating a hit and run incident that happened around 8:15 p.m. last night near Arthur Ashe Boulevard and West Broad Street,” a Richmond Police spokesperson said. “We ask that anyone with information about the incident to call Hit and Run Detective G. Drago at 804-646-1369.”
The couple said they went to the hospital following the accident, but suffered only minor bruises.
A spokesperson with Uber said they are also investigating the ride.
“This driver’s behavior is concerning, and we have removed his access to the app pending investigation,” an Uber spokeswoman said.
This story was originally published by Brendan King on WTVR in Richmond, Virginia.
