Woman who says she was raped by Lyft driver in downtown St. Louis files suit
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ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOV) — A nurse filed a lawsuit against Lyft and one of its drivers after alleging she was raped while in the backseat of his car in St. Louis last year.
Larry Ward, of St. Peters, was charged in December with raping and kidnapping a woman he picked up in his rideshare car a few blocks from Busch Stadium during the late-night hours on June 22, 2019.
Wednesday, a 29-page complaint was filed by attorney Michael L. Gallagher on behalf of the nurse.
“This was vicious attack on an unsuspecting and innocent young woman who trusted Lyft to have screened its drivers to ensure her safety,” said Gallagher, of the Chicago law firm Wise Morrissey, LLC. “This victim tried to fight off Ward, but he overpowered her and raped her in the back seat of his Lyft car. This is yet another example of a multi-billion dollar company placing profits above their passengers.”
The lawsuit says the victim had been out drinking with friends when she summoned a Lyft to get home. Inside the car, her lawyers say she fell asleep before Ward climbed into the backseat and raped her.
Authorities say Ward turned off his Lyft app before he sexually assaulted her. Lab results showed Ward’s DNA was present in the survivor’s rape kit, authorities said.
The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages.
News 4 has reached out to Lyft for a statement and we are waiting to hear back.
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