On June 16, a tourist visiting El Paso, Texas shot and killed her Uber driver. Police say the woman, a 48-year-old Kentucky resident, killed 52-year-old Daniel J. Piedra Garcia because she believed he was kidnapping her and taking her to the Mexico border.
According to reports, the woman was visiting El Paso to meet her boyfriend on June 16 and planned to travel to the close by Speaking Rock Casino. To facilitate her travel, she hired an Uber with driver Daniel J. Piedra Garcia.
When the vehicle was ten miles away from its destination, the driver took an interstate highway leading to the Mexican border, which is marked by road signs. Upon reading the signs, the woman reportedly panicked and, without any explanation, pulled a gun from her purse and shot Piedra in the head. The woman then reportedly texted her boyfriend a photo of the wounded driver.
Surprisingly, the woman did not call 911. She was initially charged with aggravated assault but, after it was found that Piedra had been taken off life support, the charge was changed to murder and the woman’s bail was increased to $1.5 million.
Despite her claims that she thought she was being kidnapped and taken to Mexico against her will, there is no indication that Piedra deviated from the route he had been given by GPS navigation.
This tragic event emphasizes the continuing need for heightened oversight in the ubiquitous ride-sharing service, in light of recent concerns raised regarding passenger and driver safety.