NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – A man struck an Uber driver in the face with a cellphone, causing serious damage to his eye, after the driver wouldn’t give him a ride in Manhattan, police said.
The 45-year-old driver was attacked in the East Village on the morning of Aug. 28, police said Wednesday as they released new video of a suspect.
The driver declined to pick up the man near E. 14th Street and Third Avenue, sparking the assault just after 3 a.m., according to police.
The driver explained that they are not allowed to pick up street hails, according to the Daily News. By law, fares must be arranged through the app with street hails being limited to yellow and green cabs.
New video from the victim’s dashcam shows the suspect running down 14th Street while attempting to hail a ride. Police said when he reached the car, the man smashed the driver in the face with a cellphone.
The victim suffered a serious injury to his left eye and was taken by EMS to the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.
Police said the injury was listed as a detached retina but they were not able to confirm that's what he was ultimately treated for.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
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