A Cleveland Uber driver was hit with glass filling his lap after his car took at least five bullet holes early on Aug. 9, and now he is out of work, afraid, and waiting for answers. The man, who asked that his name not be shared, was driving on Green Road near Ridgehill Road on the city’s East Side around 1:30 a.m. when he heard roughly 15 shots that sounded like they came from an automatic or semi-automatic weapon.
Neither the driver nor his passenger was hit, but the damage to his car was extensive, according to News 5 Cleveland. Bullets tore through the driver’s door, damaged the wires and radiator, and left his nearly new 2025 vehicle waiting on repairs. He told the station he saw six to eight children standing on a corner nearby as the shots rang out, and the shooting should not happen to anybody for no reason, he said.
Driver Flags Down Officer, Frustrated by Silence Since
Rattled but uninjured, the driver did not speak to 911 himself. Instead, he flagged down a police officer on Euclid Avenue and later filed a report with Cleveland police in the 5th District, which is headquartered at 881 East 152nd Street and covers eastern neighborhoods including Collinwood and Glenville. Cleveland police have described the case only as an ongoing investigation, and the driver said he is frustrated by the lack of progress since.
He did eventually call 911 as well, and according to the driver, callers were left on hold for about five minutes during the incident. News 5 Cleveland has filed a public records request for the 911 call but says it has not yet received it. Police told the driver he was lucky someone was looking after him, he said, and he now says he fears retaliation as he searches for information leading to whoever opened fire.
A Pattern of Violence Against Cleveland’s Rideshare Drivers
The Green Road shooting is the latest in a string of attacks on rideshare drivers across Cleveland and Cuyahoga County this year. In April, Cleveland police arrested an 18-year-old in connection with the shooting and carjacking of a 41-year-old Uber driver who was shot in the face on the East Side, a case the driver survived after hospitalization…