With the rapid growth of the ride-sharing app Uber, the business has been in headlines across the country as witnesses have claimed to see the notorious Uber logo sticker in the windows of vehicles involved in crashes. It is not clear whether all of the drivers involved in the following three accidents were in fact Uber drivers, but it is clear that at least one of them was, although the individual was not “on the clock” at the time of the crash. Additionally, as a general matter, just because a driver was working for Uber, does not necessarily mean that the company is responsible for the behavior of the individual driver.
Scottsdale Pedestrian
The first accident that had Uber in the news occurred early in the morning last Thursday in Scottsdale. According to police, the accident happened at around 1:30 a.m., when a pickup truck hit a pedestrian. Officials stated that they did not believe speed or any sort of impairment were factors in the crash, and that the driver was a driver for Uber.
While the company had not made a statement at the time the story was published, a spokesperson stated that the driver had been removed from the app while the accident was being investigated, and that the company intended to cooperate with police on the investigation.
Philadelphia Tree Accident
The second accident to have happened within the past week took place in Philadelphia, when according to officials a vehicle veered off of the highway and crashed into a tree. Police responded to the scene at 2:15 a.m. Police are investigating the incident that left one person dead and another injured. The driver was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of a broken leg.
According to reports, an Uber sticker was visible on the windshield of the car involved in the crash, indicating that the driver may work for the company, but investigators say that the passenger was not an Uber customer, and that the driver was not on the clock at the time of the accident.
School Crossing Guard in Atlanta
The last accident took place in Atlanta this week. Police stated that a well-known crossing guard was hit and killed while she was directing traffic outside a Cobb County middle school.
According to reports, a police spokesperson stated that the driver’s 2016 Ford Focus swerved into the center turn lane in an attempt to pass slowed or stopped traffic. Just moments after doing so, according to police, the driver hit the 64-year-old school crossing guard who was working her post at the west end of the school zone. The crossing guard was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The driver was transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Fire crews reportedly had to cut off the top of the car to free the driver of the vehicle. Police stated that the driver had an Uber sticker on a window of the vehicle, but it was unknown if he was driving for the ride-sharing service at the time of the collision.
Uber did issue a statement about the accident, stating “This is a horrible tragedy and deeply upsetting,” and that “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family and the Lindley Middle School community during this difficult time.”
Read More:
Self Driving Vehicles Raise Crash Concerns Following Las Vegas Collision, Miami Injury Lawyer Blog, published November 16, 2017
Does Uber Lead to Less DUI Accidents in Miami?, Miami Injury Lawyer Blog, published October 19, 2017