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Police: Passenger Assaults Lyft Driver After Accusing Him Of Taking Long Route

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Police say a Lyft driver was assaulted by a passenger early Sunday morning in the city's Shadyside neighborhood.

It happened around 2 a.m. near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Murray Hill Road.

shadyside-murrayhill-fifth-lyft-assault
(Photo Credit: Lindsay Ward/KDKA)

According to police, a male Lyft driver told officers he had been driving a male passenger and two female passengers.

While he was driving along Fifth Avenue, the male passenger allegedly started accusing the Lyft driver of taking a long route to their destination and told the driver to stop.

When the driver stopped the vehicle, the male passenger then allegedly told him to get out of the car.

Police say both the driver and passenger got out of the car on Fifth Avenue, and the passenger allegedly pushed the driver to ground.

The female passengers grabbed the male suspect, took him across the street, got into a vehicle and drove away.

People who live in the area say it was a scary situation.

"That's definitely scary to know, I haven't even heard of it," says Stephanie Mutchler, who lives in Pittsburgh. "I mean, you're taking the risk of getting into a stranger's car and you're having strangers coming into your car. So, there's definitely flaws to it. I guess you just have to be super careful."

The Lyft driver complained of back pain but refused medical treatment.

Lyft released this statement to KDKA about the assault:

"Safety is our top priority and there is no place in the Lyft community for violence of any kind. We have permanently banned the rider from the Lyft community, spoke with the driver to extend our support, and are in touch with law enforcement to assist with their investigation."

Police say this is an ongoing investigation. So far, no charges have been filed.

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