Lyft passenger allegedly attacks driver, banned from platform
A Lyft driver said he was "scared for his life" after dashcam video captured him being viciously attacked by a passenger in Queens.
Authorities said that a report has been filed with the New York Police Department and that an investigation is ongoing.
The video, captured Thursday, shows a shirtless male passenger repeatedly punching 36-year-old Lyft driver Eduardo Madiedo from the backseat. The passenger then spewed profanities at Madiedo and attempted to climb into the front seat before exiting the vehicle.
The passenger was accompanied by a woman, and for a majority of the video he is seen lying on her lap. He appears to be in pain and moans loudly multiple times throughout the 12-minute ride.
"Oh my god," the male passenger said before the outburst. "I can't wait in traffic anymore."
Madiedo said the pair asked him to drive to Mount Sinai Hospital in Long Island City and the man became extremely agitated after traffic prevented him from speeding up.
"I respectfully asked him not to disrespect me, or else I would end the ride," Madiedo said told ABC station WABC-TV. "I did my best to block it, the hits that he was throwing at me, and trying not to crash my car or hurt anybody on the street. I wear glasses, and when he punched me, he knocked my glasses off. So I was squinting and just trying to get out of a really difficult situation."
Madiedo did not suffer any serious injuries, but Lyft said it has since permanently banned the passenger from its platform.
"Safety is fundamental to Lyft and the behavior described is unacceptable," a Lyft spokesperson told ABC News. "There is no place for violence of any kind in our community. We have permanently banned the passenger and have reached out to the driver to offer our support. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation."
Madiedo, who claims to be a highly rated driver, says he is re-considering driving as a profession after the assault.
"If I feel like the city isn't gonna do anything in these types of situations then what am I supposed to do?" Madiedo said. "I can't continue to work like that."
The police are still searching for the passenger.
"I hope they catch him," Madiedo said.
ABC News' Aaron Katersky, Christine Theodorou and Kelly Landrigan contributed to this report.
