NJ teen’s scary Lyft experience in Tenafly raises safety questions

🚨A student became concerned when a Lyft driver missed a turn to their home

🚨The driver did not acknowledge their concerns and jumped out of the car

🚨The Lyft app allows passengers to quietly call for help during a ride

TENAFLY — A high school student who became concerned about a ride-share trip home jumped out of the moving vehicle on Tuesday afternoon.

When the Lyft driver, a 70-year-old Hackensack man, took a different route and missed a turn onto the student's street, the teen bailed from the moving car, suffering a minor injury.

The shocked driver reported the incident to Lyft via the app and then drove to police headquarters.

The driver told investigators he was following directions from his phone and missed the turn. He also said that he is hearing-impaired and didn't hear his passenger.

Police said that despite social media speculation, it does not appear to be an abduction attempt.

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How to report a sketchy Lyft ride

The Lyft app has ways for a passenger to quietly report concerns they have about their driver to ADT once their ride has started. A rider can use the app to report their location and the vehicle's plate number either by phone or chat.

They also suggest passengers do four things before getting into a vehicle.

• Check the vehicle make and model
• Confirm the license plate
• Match the driver to the picture in your app
• Ask your driver who they’re here for

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