Uber driver, Corey Robinson, was hired by passenger, Juan R. Carlos, to drive him 300 miles from Philadelphia to New York. During the drive the Carlos drove Robinson’s car while he napped in the passenger seat. At 5:35 a.m. State Troopers attempted to pull over Carlos because he was speeding on Interstate 81 but he refused, which led up to a high-speed chase down the Interstate by police. Robinson soon woke up realizing they were being chased by the police and asked Carlos to pull over, but he would not. Eventually Carlos crashed the car into a guard rail and both men were taken into custody. Eventually Robinson was released without charges, but Carlos was charged with unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, driving without a license and several other things.

According to the New York Times, Uber came out with a statement later that day saying that both men were suspended from using the service and it was reaching out with authorities to help them in their investigation. The following day Uber also came out with an article on its website talking about how this serves as a “wake-up call” for driving while drowsy.

I think what Uber did in response to this event help a lot with damage control. It was clear that Uber needed to comment on what took place because it involved their service and the people it hired. Many people following this event may be hesitant taking this service because the drivers are so lenient with allowing passengers to drive their vehicles. However, I think how Uber responded did a lot to ensure the future safety of its customers and drivers.