Uber Driver Carjacked While Picking Up Customer, Police Said

OAK PARK, IL — A Chicago Uber driver told police he was carjacked at gunpoint Monday night after responding to a ride request in Oak Park.

The driver went to pick up a customer who had booked the ride via the Uber app on the 500 block of Highland Avenue at around 7:30 p.m, police said in a news release.

Once the driver arrived, a man with short, black hair and no shirt displayed a handgun and threatened the driver, who then complied and exited his car. The gunman got in the car and drove off, eastbound on Madison Street.

The Uber driver was in a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. Police said they estimate the loss to be about $10,000.

This is the latest in a string of carjacking incidents, which have scared many ride-hailing drivers away for fear of losing their vehicles or lives.

Uber launched a new verification feature in early April that was intended to keep drivers safe by ensuring rides were booked with a permanent form of identification, but some drivers said the use of nicknames and small ID photos are still a barrier to their safety.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the Oak Park Police Department at 708-386-3800. Crime tips may also be provided anonymously at 708-434-1636 or online at www.oak-park.us/crimetip.