A self-proclaimed "diehard Uber fan" got the ride of his life earlier this week when a driver took him on a high-speed chase through Washington, D.C. against his will.
Ryan Simonetti, CEO of New York-based Convene, claims the driver of an UberBLACK car "kidnapped" him and two colleagues Tuesday. The driver was apparently trying to get away from a taxi inspector in a scene that sounds like something straight out of the TV series Cops.
Simonetti and two other colleagues had just finished up a meeting near D.C.'s Verizon Center and decided to take an Uber car back to their company's offices in Tyson's Corner, according to a report from The Washington Post. As they walked up to the Uber car, they noticed that the driver was in a conversation with a D.C. taxi inspector.
The trio got into the car, and the inspector walked away. The Uber driver then sped off towards their destination, but the inspector turned on his lights and started to follow.
Simonetti said he asked the driver what was up, and was told now to worry. The driver even assured them that the follower wasn't even a "real cop."
Instead of stopping, the driver told the trio he was "going to have to run this red light," beginning a 10-minute hell ride that crossed state lines. The driver got onto I-395 and raced down the highway going "well above the speed limit," Simonetti said.
"It was insane," he added. "I physically tried to force his leg to hit the brake. I ripped off his pant leg … I said, 'Here's two options. You take this exit, or I'm going to knock the side of your head in. If we crash, we crash, but you're gonna kill us anyway.'"
As he sped down the highway, the driver narrowly missed other cars several times, but refused to stop, insisting that he would get a $2,000 fine. He eventually pulled onto an exit ramp, and the taxi inspector pulled ahead, blocking their way. The three passengers got out, and the Uber driver turned around and went the wrong way up the exit ramp into Virginia.
Was just kidnapped by an @uber driver in DC, held against my will, and involved in a high speed chase across state lines with police #Crazy
— Ryan W Simonetti (@rwsimonetti) July 8, 2014The driver in question is no longer with the company, Uber confirmed.
"Uber became aware of a potential incident involving an UberBLACK trip in Washington, DC yesterday afternoon," the company said Thursday. "Rider safety is our #1 priority. We will cooperate with authorities in their investigation and have deactivated the driver pending the outcome."
The D.C. Taxicab Commission is investigating the matter, according to the Post.
Meanwhile, Uber also made headlines this week after knocking 20 percent off the price of its budget uberX offering in New York City. The company also agreed to ban surge pricing in the event of an emergency.