Today’s Lyft news is going to be a little bad, then nice. First, a woman in South Miami, Florida is arrested after ordering a Lyft ride, then stealing the driver’s car. Whoa. Then, in British Columbia, a passenger finally got their neurological mobility device after leaving it in the car. Here are the stories.
Passenger steals driver’s car?
Authorities arrested a Miami woman who seems to be engrossed with the game “Grand Theft Auto” after she ordered a Lyft ride from a store in South Miami, distracted the driver in one setting, and took the driver’s car! It all happened just after 8:45 p.m. on a Monday, which is an intense day at work, with people just reaching their homes or traveling to their homes.
The police and the investigators stated that her Lyft driver embarked her onto the car by the Family Dollar store in the area.
The South Miami Police Department stated the 37-year-old woman, who resides in Southwest Miami-Dade, started with her innocent self, asking the driver to help her load her bags into the car, which is a Honda Accord, not a luxury or sports car, but also not a cheap-end car. The police reported that as he walked around to the back of the car, she hopped there up front, got into the driver’s seat, and took off. Clearly, she’s an educated driver, and it’s like taken from an action movie.
Nice thing, it did not take long before the police tracked her down, the arrest documents said, since the driver’s phone, which was trackable, was left inside. Seems like a blessing in disguise. Thank you to the driver’s girlfriend, she helped trace down the car using a tracker software.
It turned out that the suspect drove the Lyft driver’s car to her home. So, the police went to the house to find the Honda. She gave in and admitted to the crime. The police concluded she wasn’t supposed to be driving any vehicle. The police found she’s under the influence of illegal substances.
Other Lyft news
Meanwhile, this is something opposite to the gruesome news earlier. A woman in British Columbia in Canada, left her neurological mobility device inside a Lyft driver, but he didn’t return it immediately. Is he trying to sell it?
It took months before it’s returned to her, which was in October, and it took the woman and her son to convince the driver to return the SmartDrive device, amounting $8,000, which apparently powers the wheelchair she uses. But initially, without success.
Without this device, a motorized assistive equipment, an electronic wheel attaching to the back of her chair, she would find it difficult to move uphill or on uneven terrain.
“I’m ecstatic to get it back, but I also feel kind of battle-weary,” the 55-year-old woman, Bronwyn Berg, told Ridesharing Forum. "Why did it have to be like this? I’m exhausted by this three-month process.”
Prior to getting the machine back, she would be left inside her home, just immobile.
Lyft issued a statement on this incident, saying, “The behaviour described is deeply concerning and unacceptable. We’ve been in contact with the rider to offer support, deactivated the driver, and provided clear instructions to ensure the item is returned. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation.”
Fortunately, her assistance was returned to her. For more ridesharing news, keep browsing this Ridesharing Forum site.