Uber passenger arrested after video shows heated altercation

By Rachael Perry

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    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPBF) — Video shows the moments an Uber trip turned violent, leading to the arrest of a female passenger.

Officers with the Port St Lucie Police Department were called Friday for a disturbance between an Uber driver and their passengers.

Port St. Lucie police Sgt. Dominick Mesiti said the call came in around midnight.

“We got a 911 call from the Uber driver alleging that she had a drunk passenger, and they were arguing over the fact that the passenger might have had an open alcoholic beverage, which is illegal to have in an Uber or any vehicle for that matter in the state of Florida,” Mesiti said.

When officers got on scene, they encountered the suspect, Amanda Montero, standing outside the SUV. According to the police report, Montero incoherently explained that she and her sister were on their way to a friend’s house when the Uber driver pulled over and began recording them from the driver’s seat.

Officers then interviewed the Uber driver, who said the passengers were intoxicated, being noisy and spilled alcohol in the backseat. The driver told police she pulled over and began recording the women while telling them they couldn’t have alcohol in the car.

Video from the driver shows the altercation escalated before the phone appeared to be knocked out of her hands.

“During the argument, the driver decided to start recording because it started escalating, and at that point, our suspect struck the Uber driver’s hand that had the phone and committed a battery,” Mesiti said.

WPBF 25 News spoke with the driver off camera, who said before she started videoing the incident, Montero was questioning her gender and race. She said Montero smacked the phone out of her hand and scratched her face in the process.

The driver said she is taking a break from driving for Uber for the time being.

WPBF 25 News reached out to Uber for comment and received the following statement from a spokesperson.

“This type of behavior is a blatant violation of our Community Guidelines. We banned the rider from the app as soon as this was reported to us and stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation,” an Uber spokesperson said.

Montero was arrested at the scene and charged with a misdemeanor.

Rideshare Safety Mesiti said rideshare drivers face similar dangers to passengers.

“If you feel uncomfortable, stop. Call 911. If there’s something going on, if things escalated like in this incident, stop and call 911. If you have to, take your keys, get out of your car. They may damage the car, but at least you’re going to be protected physically, safely,” he said.

Mesiti said it’s important to share your location with someone you trust.

“That way, they know what the destination is if, God forbid, something does happen, and that goes the same for the rider. So it really does go both ways as far as the rider and the driver protecting themselves,” he said.

Uber has implemented several safety features over time. Some of those features and policies are as follows.

Guidelines and prohibited behavior:

Drug use and open containers of alcohol are never allowed while using the Uber Marketplace Platform. If a rider is too drunk or rowdy, drivers have the right to decline the trip for their own safety. Aggressive, confrontational, or harassing behavior is not allowed. Don’t use language, make gestures, or take actions that could be disrespectful, discriminatory, threatening, or inappropriate. Any behavior that goes against these guidelines may result in removal from the platform.

Safety features in the app for drivers:

Uber provides an emergency button for drivers to use on their phone. Users can call or text 911 and that will provide their real-time location and trip information. For situations that don’t require police, fire, or medical assistance, users can request a call or text from an ADT agent. That agent would stay on the phone for the duration of the trip and can reach out to 911 if necessary. Uber offers a record my ride feature that enables drivers to record audio and video during a trip with their front-facing camera. All recordings are encrypted and Uber can only access the recording if the driver chooses to share the recording with Uber. Follow My Ride feature available in the app for drivers enables them to share their trip route in real-time with family or loved ones. Uber uses GPS to track every trip. The company also has a team of former law enforcement professionals around who work with law enforcement agencies when Uber is asked to aid in an investigation. Drivers and riders can report any incident or accident through the app or through Uber’s Safety Incident Reporting line. That information is reviewed by their safety team who investigate any issues. Uber’s Incident Response Team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to incidents.

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