Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WEBVTT , AND THEY STARTED TRYING TOTAKE MY PHONE.BRIAN: KCRA 3'S NATALIE BRUNELLHAS THE DRIVER'S STORY, AND THESEARCH FOR THE PEOPLE WHOATTACKED HER.>> IT IS A REALLY, REALLY BIGDEAL.REPORTER: SHE FIGHTS BACK TEARS,ADDRESSING A GROUP OF LYFT ANDUBER DRIVERS THAT TURNED INTO ANATTACK.>> I HAVE THIS BUMP ON MYFOREHEAD AND THE BACK OF MYHEAD.NATALIE: SHE WAS PICKING UP AGROUP AROUND 3:00 A.M. LASTTHURSDAY.EIGHT PEOPLE TRIED TO GETINTO HER CAR.SHE TOLD THEM SHE ONLY HAD ROOMFOR SIX.>> THEY TOLD ME "YOUR JOB IS TOGET US WHERE WE NEED TO GO."NATALIE: WHEN THEY REFUSED TOFOLLOW THE RULES, SHE CALLEDPOLICE.THAT IS WHEN THINGS TURNEDVIOLENT.>> THE PHONE STARTED RINGING,AND THAT IS WHEN WATER STARTEDGETTING POURED ON ME FROM ALLDIRECTIONS.I STARTED GETTING PUNCHED ANDTHEYNATALIE: STARTED TAKING MYPHONE ON MY RIGHT SIDE.NATALIE: FIVE PEOPLE ATTACHED TOHER BEFORE SHE WAS FINALLY ABLETO SHUT THE DOOR AND DRIVE AWAY.>> I WAS SCARED, YOU KNOW WHAT IMEAN?I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WEREGOING TO DO.NATALIE: LYFT RELEASED THEFOLLOWING STATEMENTS, THAT THEPASSENGER WHO ORDERED THE RIDESFROM THE PLATFORM, AND ARE READYTO ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT WITHTHE INVESTIGATION.SACRAMENTO POLICE HAVE NOT MADEANY ARRESTS, BUT ARE WORKINGWITH LYFT FOR INFORMATION ON THERIDER PROFILE.>> IT IS A LEAD WE CAN FOLLOW UPON TO LEAD US TO OTHERINDIVIDUALS.NATALIE: HER CAR WAS IMPOUNDEDTO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE.SHE IS OUT HER NORMAL PAYCHECK.SHE IS USING THE TIME OFF TOSPREAD THE WORD ABOUT DRIVERSAFETY.THIS GROUP MEETS REGULARLYTO TALK ABOUT ISSUES.>> I WANT TO INFORM DRIVERS NOTTO BECOME IN PLACCOMPLACENT AND TOTAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES WHILEDRIVING, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.NATALIE: SHE PLANS TO ON HERSELF

Advertisement Sacramento Lyft driver warns others after being attacked Driver was jumped by 8 after she refused to give them ride Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A Sacramento-area Lyft driver was punched and had water bottles thrown at her when she refused to give a ride to a group of eight people in south Sacramento.Nakayla Hall fought back tears as she addressed a group of Lyft and Uber drivers Monday night about the ride that turned into an attack."I have this bump on my forehead, I have another bump on the back of my head," Hall said, pointing to a gash on the left side of her forehead.Hall was picking up a Lyft Plus group from the intersection of Meadowview Road and Amherst Street around 3 a.m. Thursday. Eight people tried to get into her car, which only has room for six passengers. She then told the group she can't take everyone."They told me, ‘No, your job is to get us where we need to go,’" Hall said.When the group of men and women refused to follow the rules, Hall called police. That's when things turned violent."The phone started ringing and that's when water started getting poured on me, basically from all directions,” Hall said. “I started getting punched and they started taking the phone on my right side.”Hall says five people attacked her before she was finally able to shut the door and drive away."I was scared, you know what I mean. I didn't know what they were going to do," Hall said.Lyft released the following statement about the attack: "The safety of the Lyft community is our top priority. What's being described here is not only shocking but also completely unacceptable. As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we deactivated the passenger from the Lyft platform. Our concern is with the driver's well-being, and we have been in contact with her throughout the past few days. We stand ready to assist law enforcement in their investigation."Sacramento police haven't made any arrests, but investigators are working with Lyft on information from the rider's profile."It's a lead we can follow up on that will potentially lead us to other individuals," Sgt. Bryce Heinlein said. The police department doesn't keep track of assaults involving rideshares separately from records on assaults and burglaries. Police said the incident doesn't represent a greater trend. Hall's car, which had a door damaged in the incident, was also impounded to look for evidence, meaning she's out her normal paycheck. She started a GoFundMe page to help cover her expenses while she waits to get her car back. Hall is using the time off to spread the word about driver safety. "I want to inform drivers not to become complacent and make sure they take care of themselves, especially driving at night," she said. Hall doesn't want to stop driving, but she plans to arm herself with a dashcam before she gets back to work.