ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A mom of six has a warning after she was shot at while working for Uber in the St. Louis area.
Now, she's without a car and a job.
In a sit-down interview, the former Uber driver asked to hide her identity since the two suspects are still on the run, but she wanted to share what happened to warn others.
On Oct. 4, she said she picked up two young men, who then tried to carjack her in the middle of the day.
It was a multi-stop trip.
She first picked up one passenger, who she thinks was about 16-years-old, and then they went to another location to pick up the second passenger. She said after that, they went to the final destination.
She drove them near a metal factory on St. Cyr Road in Riverview. She didn't go further because she felt uncomfortable.
That's when she said one of them pointed a gun at her.
For her own safety, she had her own gun under her seat and went to search for it when one of the passengers took the keys out of her ignition.
She remembered the passenger "freaking out"; they got out and began shooting at her multiple times and ran away.
The driver said she stayed put.
"They shot a lot of bullets straight at me. My head rest saved my life, catching two bullets in it. My seat has more. The windshield in front of me had four holes through it. I didn't even realize at the time, I guess my body was just... my mind was shutting off. I stayed as still as I could," she told 5 On Your Side. "I just stayed right there. I didn't move and then after they, I guess, unloaded the whole clip, they took off down the road."
The car is destroyed, she's out of a job and she said Uber hasn't helped with any of the medical costs or a rental car. She was told by Uber there was a $2,500 deductible.
The former driver is also starting therapy, which is out-of-pocket.
"Finances are bad. I don't even have a car right now. My dad was nice enough to let me use his for a few days, while he was out of town. It's really difficult to get my kids where they need to go without a car," she added.
Her kids ages range from 23 to 14.
She's also concerned about Uber's minimal training for these situations and she's worried about the approval process.
"I was approved to be a driver in less than a day," she added. "Uber's policy is that you can't carry a firearm. However, it's the Second Amendment right. It's my right to protect myself and had I not had that gun, I'm pretty certain I would be dead right now."
She admitted she never fired her gun in that Oct. 4 incident.
This shooting happened nearly two weeks before her daughter's wedding.
"I'm happy that I at least get to be there to see my baby get married," she said with tears rolling down her face.
An Uber spokesperson shared this statement:
"What this driver went through is a nightmare. We have spoken with her to offer support and will continue to assist law enforcement with their investigation however we can.”
According to Uber, the rider was banned from the Uber app as soon as the incident was reported. Uber said it regularly sends safety information and tips.
The Riverview Police Department told 5 On Your Side this investigation is still ongoing and the suspects are unknown at this time.
The Riverview Mayor Mike Cornell shared, "To my knowledge, per Chief Tumbrink the matter is currently under investigation by Riverview Police Department and being sent to the St. Louis County Prosecutor Office."
If you have any information, contact Riverview Police Department at 314-868-9130.
The former Uber driver added, "I hope that they find the guys that did this. I hope that there's justice."
There is a GoFundMe set up for the mom. To donate, click here.
