Passenger attacks Lyft driver, bites off part of ear in carjacking, Missouri cops say

A Lyft driver was hospitalized after a passenger attacked and bit off a chunk of his ear during a carjacking, police in Missouri say.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department says the 32-year-old man was driving a female passenger, seated behind him, shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13. During the drive, police say the woman indicated she had a gun with her and demanded the man pull over near Interstate 64 eastbound and Market Street.

The 39-year-old woman then grabbed the driver’s phone, threw it out the car’s window and tried to take the car keys away, police said in an incident report.

As she fought to do so, police say “a struggle ensued” — and the passenger started biting the driver’s ear. The driver tried to get away, but the woman pushed him out of the vehicle, according to the report.

She then climbed up to the driver’s seat and drove away in the Lyft driver’s car, police said. That vehicle was later involved in an accident at Interstate 44 near Walnut Street, and the woman ran away.

Police say an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

A public information officer with the department said she had no information regarding an arrest as of Monday, Feb. 14.

“Safety is fundamental to Lyft, and the incident described is deeply concerning,” a Lyft spokesperson said in a statement to McClatchy News. “We’ve been in touch with the driver to offer our support and have permanently removed the rider account from the Lyft community. We are working with law enforcement to help keep drivers safe while also exploring ways to expand the use of certain safety features and alerts to help prevent these kinds of incidents moving forward.”

Lyft said the company is working to prevent carjacking by taking action on accounts that show high-risk behavior, such as those who use “anonymous payment methods.” The company also offers an emergency help feature with ADT security, which will alert emergency responders if a user does not feel safe, along with 24/7 safety support.

The ride-sharing app says it also has a “Smart Trip Check-in,” which triggers an alert to Lyft if, for example, a ride stops for an unusual amount of time.

This story was originally published February 14, 2022 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Passenger attacks Lyft driver, bites off part of ear in carjacking, Missouri cops say."