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Uber Driver Accused Of Rape By Passenger

By Chuck Sudo in News on Dec 10, 2014 5:45PM

2014_12_10_uber.png Chicago Police are investigating a claim made by a customer of ride-sharing service Uber that she was sexually assaulted by a driver last month. No charges have been filed but Uber has “removed” the driver from its roster while the investigation unfolds.

According to the alleged victim, the incident occurred on Nov. 16 after she ordered an Uber while leaving a River North bar. The driver, according to the woman, asked her to sit in the front seat as he was unfamiliar with the area she was going. The driver later parked the car near Western and Lawrence Avenues, where he allegedly grabbed the woman. She said she later woke up in an apartment with the driver on top of her, and was driven home by the driver in the same car.

Uber spokeswoman Jennifer Mullin called the incident “appalling and unacceptable” and said the company is cooperating with the investigation. Uber and its drivers have been in the news across the country for similar incidents but have fought back at regulation efforts in cities where it does business. Portland, Oregon is pushing to ban Uber from operating unless it follows local regulations. New Dehli, India banned the service outright after a woman accused a driver of rape. In Chicago and Illinois, attempts to regulate Uber and other ride-sharing services has thus far proven fruitless.

[Sun-Times, Tribune, DNAInfo Chicago]