Three Men Allege They Were Kidnapped By Washington D.C. Uber Driver, Taken On 10-Minute High Speed Chase

(Adam Fagen)

It’s not just Washington D.C., taxi drivers who allegedly kidnap passengers. Three out-of-town visitors allege they were kidnapped and taken on a high speed chase after hopping in an UberBlack car in the city earlier this week.

According to Tech Times, a New York City resident and two colleagues’ routine Uber ride took a rather harrowing turn when the car they were in became involved in a high speed chase with a Washington D.C., taxi inspector.

The man and his colleagues were leaving a meeting near downtown D.C. Monday when they used the Uber app to hail a car.

Before entering the vehicle, one man says he noticed the driver speaking with a taxi inspector. Uber has come under scrutiny in surrounding areas recently after they refused to stop picking up passengers despite the Virginia and Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles ordering them to do so until they obtain proper permits.

The man tells Tech Times that once he and his colleagues entered the car the driver sped off with the inspector in hot pursuit – lights spinning and all. And so a 10-minute chase began.

One passenger reports that speeds were “well above the speed limit” and that the driver ran at least one red light.

The men say they repeatedly yelled at the driver to slow down, but he allegedly refused explaining that he would be fined $2,000 if he stopped.

Eventually, the driver pulled into an exit ramp and let the passengers out. The inspector attempted to pull ahead and block the Uber car’s path. However, the driver simply turned around and took the wrong way up the ramp, driving into Virginia.

Following their release, one of the passengers tweeted about the experience:

“Was just kidnapped by an @uber driver in DC, held against my will, and involved in a high speed chase across state lines with police #Crazy.”

According to a D.C. Taxicab Commission spokesperson, the ordeal began when the inspector noticed the Uber car had Virginia license plates and wanted to ensure the driver was picking up passengers through the Uber app instead of illegal street pickup.

Officials with Uber say they ware willing to cooperate with authorities to investigate the issue, and that the drive has been “deactivated.”

No word yet, on whether the passengers were charged for their exhilarating trip through the nation’s capital.

Uber driver goes on high speed chase in D.C. with passenger onboard. Kidnapping? [Tech Times]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist