Chicago, IL – A young woman from the Belmont Cragin neighborhood warned other rideshare users after an Uber driver abruptly canceled a late‑night trip while she and a friend were still inside the vehicle.
Elyse Madrid, 22, and a friend ordered an Uber at about 2:30 a.m. on a Saturday to travel to a karaoke bar. While en route, Madrid noticed the car was not heading toward their destination. She then saw the driver cancel the ride in the app, even though both passengers remained seated.
Madrid confronted the driver, who claimed a phone problem and later said his sister had canceled the trip. She demanded he pull over; the driver eventually stopped on Randolph Street near the Kennedy Expressway, where Madrid and her friend exited the vehicle. “When we got out the car, he sped off like in a panic,” Madrid said, adding the driver accelerated to about 40‑50 mph before leaving the scene.
Uber’s response
Uber confirmed to Fox News Digital that the driver has been removed from the platform while the incident is investigated. “What has been reported is deeply distressing, and we have removed the driver’s access to the Uber platform,” an Uber spokesperson said. “We’ve reached out to police, and will support their investigation in any way we can.”
Safety advice from industry experts
Dillon Abend, founder and CEO of rideshare‑safety app 3rd‑i, urged passengers to speak up immediately if something seems off. “You do not want to stay silent. You do want to stand up for yourself and speak out,” he said.
Abend recommends riders stay calm, ask the driver why the cancellation occurred, and clearly state their desired drop‑off location. If the driver refuses to cooperate or the passenger feels an immediate threat, calling 911 and alerting a trusted friend or family member is essential. He also advises sharing live location with someone, verifying the driver, vehicle, and license plate match the app details before entering the car, and using a separate mapping app to confirm the route.
Context
This incident follows a similar report from a month earlier, where another woman said her late‑night Uber driver stopped at a parking garage to charge his electric vehicle before missing an exit. Uber said it investigated that report and took appropriate action.
Madrid, who previously reported an assault in a cab last August, filed a police report after the recent encounter.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
