Uber removes driver after passenger reports alarming late-night ride in Chicago

Uber has removed a driver from its platform after a 22-year-old rider in Chicago said a late-night trip turned frightening when the driver canceled the ride with her and her friend still inside the car. The company says it has contacted police and will assist in the investigation, and the rider has filed a police report.

Elyse Madrid and a friend booked the ride around 2:30 a.m. on a recent Saturday, heading from the Belmont Cragin neighborhood toward a karaoke bar. Madrid said the car seemed to be going the wrong way. When she raised concerns, the driver canceled the trip in the app while the two women were still in the vehicle.

According to Madrid, the driver first blamed phone problems and then claimed that his sister had canceled the ride. Madrid demanded that he stop. Both passengers got out on Randolph Street. Madrid said the driver then sped away near the Kennedy Expressway, at roughly 40 to 50 miles per hour, leaving the two women on the street at an hour when the area was quiet.

Madrid said the experience was especially unsettling because she had been assaulted in a taxi the previous August. That history, she indicated, made the encounter feel more threatening than it might otherwise have been. She said the earlier incident had left her wary of getting into a stranger's vehicle at night, and that the canceled ride reinforced that caution.

The incident is not the first of its kind reported in the city recently. About a month earlier, another rider reported similar behavior from a driver, who had asked to stop at a garage so he could charge an electric vehicle. That rider ended the trip and contacted police. Uber said at the time that it had investigated and taken action, and the company has not publicly detailed whether the two cases were linked.

Dillon Abend, founder of the safety firm 3rd-i, offered guidance for riders who feel uneasy during a trip. He advised speaking up early when something seems unusual, staying calm, asking what is happening and stating the drop-off point clearly. If a driver is uncooperative or a threat feels immediate, he said, riders should call 911.

Abend also recommended sharing a live location with someone trusted, and verifying the driver, vehicle and license plate before getting in. He suggested that riders use a separate map app to check whether the car is heading in the right direction, a step that can help a passenger notice a route change before it becomes a problem.

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Caroline Mercer

World News Correspondent

Caroline Mercer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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