A San Diego Uber driver said he is traumatized and left holding a $15,000 car repair bill after an angry teenage passenger tried to shoot him, riddling his Mercedes Benz with bullet holes.
“It was just survival mode, panic and trying to get out of there as quickly as possible,” Brandon Williams said.
On August 7, Williams picked up the teenage nephew of a woman who paid for the ride with her credit card and the teen left his cellphone in the car, he said.
Some riders found it, unlocked it and broke into the teen’s Snapchat account to post snarky comments.
“The shooter got wind of it before I was able to return his phone,” Williams said.
That night, Williams went to the teen’s home in Valenica Park to return the phone.
“He was standing outside waiting for me. After I handed him the phone he started screaming profanities at me. I started to pull off slowly at that point because it was a hostile situation,” Williams said.
“I just heard the loud banging and the glass shattering and there was multiple shots. It was like a semi-automatic so I just thought to duck down as far as I could and drive as fast as I can in a straight line,” Williams said.
His $50,000 Mercedes Benz was riddled with bullet holes.
10News was there as police descended on the teen's home and arrested him.
Uber’s insurance won’t pay for the damage, Williams said.
“Because my personal insurance policy doesn’t cover commercial vandalism,” he said. “Over $15,000 which makes my vehicle totaled."
Williams also said he now suffers from PTSD.
“I’m not going to be doing any ride-share anytime soon,” Williams said.
He also wants Uber to designate a location where riders who leave things in cars can retrieve them.
An Uber spokeswoman told 10News they can't comment on Williams' case because insurance claims are handled by a third-party provider.
We reached out to the insurance provider after hours Friday and are waiting for a response.
