Police: Uber driver picked up 2 riders in Texas; 1 passenger killed, 1 passenger fled
HARRIS COUNTY, Tex. -- Texas police are looking for an Uber passenger who shot and killed another rider Friday near Houston, authorities said.Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez identified the victim as James Grant Booker II, 26.
'What's my name?' Killing of South Carolina student inspires ride-share safety campaign
People across the country have taken to social media to spread #WhatsMyName following the death of a University of South Carolina student who got into a car she assumed was her Uber ride home.
Police: Ride-share mistake led to death of 21-year-old University of South Carolina student
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The man accused of killing a woman who got into his car thinking it was her Uber ride had activated the child locks in his backseat so the doors could only be opened from the outside, police in South Carolina say.Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook also said investigators found the victim's blood in Nathaniel Rowland's vehicle.
Uber driver’s viral 'menu' includes 'therapy,' 'creepy' and 'standup' rides
KIRKLAND, Wash. – A Washington state Uber driver's "ride menu" is getting a lot of attention on social media.Inside George Ure's car, no one is a stranger – just a friend he hasn’t met yet.
Life without parole for Michigan Uber driver who fatally shot 6 strangers
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A man who fatally shot six strangers in southwestern Michigan was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with no chance of parole, and some loved ones of those he killed said they believe he'll face a greater, more permanent punishment."Someday when you die and you face God, he will make the ultimate judgment for what you've done," Laurie Smith, who lost her husband and son in the February 2016 rampage, told Jason Dalton during the sentencing hearing. "All I can say is, I do not want to be you — not now and not then."Dalton, 48, pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder last month, just as jury selection was about to begin in his trial.
'You're gonna crash:' Video shows terrifying moment Uber passenger grabs wheel
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – An Uber driver's dashcam recorded the terrifying moment his allegedly drunk passenger threatened to crash the car, wrestling for control of the steering wheel as they drove at high speed down a California highway, according to police.Driver Albert Castro told KTXL he has had a gun pulled on him by a passenger in a hurry and had to stop people from having sex in his backseat.
Uber rolls out safety features for drivers, passengers
NEW YORK — Uber is aiming to boost driver and passenger safety in an effort to rebuild trust in the brand.The ride-hailing company has created a feature on its app to reach out to passengers and drivers if it detects an accident or unplanned stop.
Women say Uber driver 'terrorized' them during 25-minute nightmare ride
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Three friends are speaking out two months after a nightmare 25-minute Uber ride through Sacramento, California left them fearing for their lives."I legitimately believed that we were going to die," said Theadora Fuerstenberg.It's an app thousands use every day but a June 15 Uber trip on Interstate 80 from a book club in Arden to Oak Park traumatized the three women."He would swerve in and out and then as he was doing this he would say, 'We're all going to die now,'" Fuerstenberg said.Fuerstenberg, Angela O'Neal and Katherine Vallaire say the Uber driver drove erratically and did not follow directions home.O'Neal was in the back seat and able to get through to 911 dispatchers.
Startup partners with Uber to sell snacks in the back seat
A startup called Cargo is partnering with Uber to sell snacks and give away free samples to passengers.A startup named Cargo has been placing little vending machine-style boxes in the backseats of ridesharing cars for a year.
Source: Uber facing probe into alleged gender discrimination
SAN FRANCISCO — U.S. employment regulators are investigating allegations that Uber set up a pay scale that discriminated against women working for the ride-hailing service.A person familiar with the probe says the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission opened the investigation in August 2017.
The 10 most popular occupations for Uber and Lyft drivers
MILWAUKEE -- Uber and Lyft have revolutionized the taxi industry by allowing individuals to work as freelance drivers-for-hire, using their personal vehicles.
'You cannot tell me what I can do in my car:' Uber driver fired for carrying concealed weapon
MILWAUKEE — Should Uber drivers in Milwaukee be allowed to carry concealed weapons?
Uber passenger tips driver with scratch ticket that leads to $140K prize
LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- A Colorado Uber driver received an unusual tip from a passenger that later led to him winning $140,000.The man, identified by the Colorado Lottery as Lakewood resident "James P.," was given a $5 Super Special Ultimate Bingo scratch ticket by one of his passengers.
Police release video of fatal crash by Uber self-driving SUV
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Video of a deadly self-driving vehicle crash in suburban Phoenix shows a pedestrian walking from a darkened area onto a street just moments before an Uber SUV strikes her.The lights on the SUV didn't illuminate 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg on Sunday night until a second or two before impact, raising questions about whether the vehicle could have stopped in time.The video shows the human backup driver in the SUV looking down until seconds before the crash.
Man arrested after arranging Uber to take '14-year-old girl' to his grandparents' house for sex
CANADIAN COUNTY, Okla. - A man has been arrested after arranging for an Uber to take someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl to his grandparents' house for sex.The Canadian County Sheriff's Office arrested 21-year-old Taylor Kilgore of Oklahoma City around 11:45 p.m. on Friday.The investigation into Kilgore began on Wednesday when he told an undercover investigator with the sheriff's office "he would like to hook up for sex" thinking he was talking to the 14-year-old girl.
Uber self-driving vehicle hits, kills pedestrian in Arizona
TEMPE, Ariz. — Police in a Phoenix suburb say one of Uber's self-driving vehicles has struck and killed a pedestrian.Police in the city of Tempe said Monday that the vehicle was in autonomous mode with an operator behind the wheel when the woman walking outside of a crosswalk was hit.Sgt.
Drunk man takes $1,600 Uber from West Virginia to New Jersey
GLOUCESTER COUNTY, N.J. — A New Jersey man who got drunk in West Virginia and mistakenly ordered a $1,635 Uber ride back to his home state says the experience was "crazy."NJ.com reported Wednesday that Kenny Bachman thought he was taking an Uber to where he was staying, near the West Virginia University campus.But when his driver woke him up two hours into the more than 300-mile journey to New Jersey, Bachman says he didn't know what was happening or who the driver was.The trip was made more expensive because Bachman gave the driver money for tolls and ordered an UberXL, which can hold up to six passengers.He says he unsuccessfully challenged the fare with Uber, which confirmed that the ride occurred.Bachman says he gave the driver five stars.
Uber begins offering rides to the doctor
SAN FRANCISCO -- Uber is driving deeper into health care by offering to take patients in every U.S. market where it operates to their next medical appointment.The ride-hailing service said Thursday its Uber Health business will handle rides set up by doctor's offices or other health care providers and then bill that business, not the patient, for the service.
Studies are increasingly clear: Uber, Lyft congest cities
BOSTON — One promise of ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft was fewer cars clogging city streets.
Uber, Waymo settled trade secrets clash
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber is settling a lawsuit filed by Google's autonomous car unit alleging that the ride-hailing service ripped off self-driving car technology.Both sides in the case issued statements confirming the settlement Friday morning in the midst of a federal court trial in the case.Google's Waymo unit says Uber agreed to take steps to make sure Waymo technology isn't used in Uber's autonomous vehicles.