KENT, Wash. — The Seattle Police Department says a woman jumped out of a car after she was driven to Kent by someone she believed was her Uber driver.
It happened on October 10.
According to police, the 25-year-old woman had been out at a bar on 1st Avenue South in Pioneer Square when she was ready to leave and ordered an Uber. When the vehicle arrived, the woman opened the door and asked if the driver was there to pick her up.
According to police, the driver said yes, but the woman didn’t verify the license plate or driver’s name.
As the woman sat in the backseat, she saw the driver pass her exit and then got a notification that her Uber ride had been cancelled.
The woman told police the driver was following directions from Google Maps and wasn’t using the Uber app.
“As fear and worry began to take over, she frantically started texting her friends about what was going on,” police said.
The woman told officers she believed the driver exited at exit 156 in Kent, then went through 3 intersections. While sitting at a red light, she jumped out and ran away.
A short time later, her friends found her near Military Road South and Kent Des Moines Road in Kent.
The woman described the vehicle as a white 4-door sedan and the driver as a black man, between the ages of 30-50.
Police contacted the Real Time Crime Center for possible footage of the incident, but the SPD cameras in the area were not functional at the time.
Police are asking for help in identifying the suspect and vehicle. Tips or information can be submitted to the Seattle Police Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206)-233-5000.
“Rideshares can be an excellent way to safely get home from a night out, but every ride needs a safety check,” police shared.
The department suggests waiting for your ride in a well-lit location and try to ride with a friend, checking the license plate number and name of driver with the rideshare app before getting in, and sharing your ride details with a friend so they know where you are.
“Key details to share are where you’re leaving from, the type of rideshare you’re using, the license plate and vehicle description, and your estimated time of arrival. Make sure to update your friend if anything changes with the ride,” the department said.
Call or text 911 if you feel in danger.
“If you feel like you are in danger, you can call 911 and speak to a call taker. If you don’t know where you are, tell the call taker what you see out of the window, where you were supposed to be going, and where you left from. If you feel like you can’t talk out loud, you can always text 911,” the department said.