A pedestrian who was struck by an Uber driver is expected to survive, according to a statement from a San Francisco police spokeswoman. The car accident was first reported around 9:58 p.m. the night of Aug. 2 in the Polk Gulch neighborhood close to Geary Street and Polk Street. The 56-year-old male driver of the 2012 Mazda was apparently transporting passengers when he suffered a seizure. The man lost control of the vehicle and ended up crashing into a man walking on the sidewalk after hitting three cars parked nearby.
The injured pedestrian reportedly suffered a head injury and was being treated at San Francisco General Hospital. The driver was also taken for medical treatment. There were no reports of injuries from those who were inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. The driver’s license has been suspended pending medical documentation that he is cleared to drive.
A spokesperson for Uber released a statement, assuring residents that the company is focused on safety and that the driver would be removed from the app until he had undergone a medical review. The statement also stressed that the man had no prior incidents and had “an outstanding record of service and safety.”
Ride-sharing services are becoming increasingly popular, but safety and the proper vetting of drivers has been a recent concern. In situations where a person is injured by a driver of a ride-sharing company, it is possible that the company may also be able to be named a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit if the company was negligent in hiring unsafe drivers or contributing to unsafe driving practices.
Source:
CBS San Francisco, “Uber Driver Has Seizure, Hits Pedestrian In San Francisco’s Polk Gulch Neighborhood” Aug. 04, 2014
