Ride-Share Driver Critical After Being Shot by Fare in Carjacking: Police

A ride-share driver in St. Paul, Minnesota, is in critical condition after being shot in a carjacking by a passenger or passengers, police say.

Police responded to a report of a man lying in the street after a possible hit-and-run about 5:45 p.m. Thursday, according to Fox channel KMSP. An additional witness said the man had been pushed from the inside of the vehicle before it drove away.

When officers arrived, the victim told them he was a driver for an unnamed ride-sharing service and had been shot by a fare who fled after stealing his SUV, police said.

The injured driver was transported by ambulance to nearby Regions Hospital, where he received emergency surgery. He is listed in critical condition but expected to survive, according to police. No further details about the identify of the man or the company he worked for were immediately available.

No arrests have been made as authorities continue the investigation.

Newsweek reached out to the St. Paul Police Department, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota State Patrol for additional information and comment.

The carjacking came one day after St. Paul Police said that a woman was found dead inside her vehicle after suffering gunshot wounds. Police said they were unsure of a motive and no arrests had been made in what was the city's seventh homicide in 2022.

Earlier this month, a ride-share driver in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, warned other drivers to be on guard after she was allegedly carjacked at gunpoint by a teen who had hailed a ride.

"I'm aware this happens, but never thought it'd be me victimized," Pamela Watkins, who drove for Uber and Lyft, told ABC affiliate WISN.

Watkins urged other drivers to verify requests from riders and to cancel suspicious rides when in doubt. She said that she would "absolutely not" drive for any ride-sharing services in the future, saying that it only took "one traumatic experience" for her to quit.

"Driver safety is a top priority at Uber," an Uber spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Newsweek. "We've pioneered many of the safety features that are standard in the industry today, including an in-app emergency button, and are piloting new features all over the world."

"Our work on safety is never done, and we remain committed to investing in technology and features designed with safety in mind," the spokesperson continued.

The December report from The Wall Street Journal said that an increasing number of ride-share drivers were quitting their jobs due to a surge in violent attacks and carjackings. Other drivers are reportedly addressing safety concerns by wearing bulletproof vests to work or avoiding working at night.

Police in St. Paul's twin city of Minneapolis reported 494 carjackings last year through November 11, with 11 percent of the incidents involving ride-share drivers, according to the outlet.

An analysis published by The Markup last July found that there had been at least 124 confirmed U.S. carjackings and attempted carjackings of ride-share drivers during 2020 and the first half of 2021.

Updated 02/18/2022, 4:22 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from an Uber spokesperson.