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NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - It began as most e-hail rides do. Driver Eduardo Madiedo accepted a ride Thursday night, thinking nothing was out of the ordinary. His passengers, a woman and a man, were heading to Mount Sinai Queens in Astoria.
As the dashcam on the Ford Explorer rolled, the man can be heard saying that he is in pain and wants Madiedo to drive faster. Then the ride quickly devolved into violent chaos, with the man repeatedly hitting Madiedo in the head.
Madiedo is a career driver who has been with Lyft for three years. This was not the first time he felt concern for a passenger in his car or had driven someone to a hospital. But it was the first time that he was attacked on the job.
Madiedo only knows the pickup passenger's first name--Samantha--and the location the ride began. On the video, Samantha can be heard calling the man "Georgie." He repeatedly calls her "Ma."
Madiedo declined medical attention but told FOX 5 NY his head is still quite tender. The situation is so disturbing he said he isn't sure he can keep driving. And yet, this is how he pays his bills. This is what keeps his family afloat. But he fears for his life and the uncertainty of every pickup.
In a statement to FOX 5 NY, Lyft called the assault "unacceptable and said."
"We have permanently banned the passenger and have reached out to the driver to offer our support," Lyft said. "We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation."
Madiedo filed a police report.