Uber driver choked, dragged out of sedan during carjacking in SW Atlanta

Channel 2's Matt Johnson reports.

Two men and a woman are on the run after violently carjacking an Uber driver early Tuesday morning in southwest Atlanta, authorities said.

The incident happened about 1:30 a.m. at the Ashley Cascade Apartment Homes on Kimberly Way, which is where the Uber driver was requested to pick up passengers, Atlanta police said. The driver, a 27-year-old woman, told officers that two men and a woman entered her Volkswagen sedan.

One of the men, who was in the passenger seat, then demanded the driver’s phone and cash, police said. The woman refused, which is when he began to choke the driver.

The female suspect got out of the vehicle and helped drag the victim out of the car, police said. The suspects then drove away in the woman’s car.

The victim told police she was not seriously injured, but she did suffer bruises to her neck. The woman’s mother, Chandrise Ross, told Channel 2 Action News that her daughter had to walk home while barefoot.

“My daughter works two jobs. She’s a single mom. She don’t deserve this at all,” Ross said. “She had no phone, no shoes, no jacket — she didn’t have anything at all, and she walked five miles home.”

When the woman later returned to the scene, she found only one of her shoes, Channel 2 reported.

Uber told the news station that it has launched an internal investigation, adding that the company has implemented features such as an emergency button for drivers.

No description of the suspects was provided. Police said the incident report had not been completed for public release as of Tuesday night.

This is a photo of the victim's car, which was stolen.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by calling Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.