Uber Passenger Led Cops on High-Speed Chase While Driver Napped, Police Say
— -- A 20-year-old Uber passenger is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase while the driver napped, according to New York State Police.
New York City resident Juan Carlos was charged with unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle and driving without a license Saturday morning, police said. He allegedly hired Uber driver Corey Robinson, 43, to drive him from Philadelphia to a college in Herkimer, New York. Robinson had asked Carlos to drive at one point during the trip so he could took a nap, police said.
As State Police were monitoring traffic on New York's Interstate 81 early Saturday morning, officers observed a 2016 Hyundai Sonata driving at 86 mph. When troopers attempted to stop the car, it sped up, and the driver refused to pull over, police said.
When Robinson awoke, he allegedly asked Carlos why he was driving so fast, and Carlos told him it was because police were chasing them, police said.
A few minutes later, police saw that Carlos had crashed into a guardrail on Sanitaria Springs Road in the Town of Colesville.
Both Carlos and Robinson were transported to Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City and treated for minor injuries.
They were later taken into custody, but Robinson was subsequently released without charges.
It is unclear if Carlos has obtained a lawyer or entered a plea.
Uber said in a statement that Robinson and Carlos were suspended from using the service. The ride-sharing service is aiding authorities in their investigation, it said.
