A Lyft driver allegedly pulled a handgun on her passengers and threatened to 'blast' them

Josh Edelson / AP Images for Lyft

The driver was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

• A Chicago Lyft driver allegedly pointed a gun at two passengers and threatened to "blast" them, according to a new lawsuit against the company.
• The driver allegedly became angry after her passengers insisted she had taken a wrong turn.
• One of the passengers sued Lyft claiming the company has a duty to protect its passengers from dangerous drivers.

A new lawsuit alleges that a Chicago Lyft driver, Jaleesa Rance, pointed a Smith & Wesson handgun at her passengers and threatened to "blast" them, the Chicago Tribune reports.

LegalRideshare

The confrontation occurred on September 1 after Rance picked up the two passengers from a nightclub, according to a statement by Bryant Greening, the attorney representing the plaintiff.

Rance reportedly became angry once the passengers indicated that she took a wrong turn and began to argue with them before pointing her handgun at one of the passengers and telling him to exit the car.

After both passengers got out of the car, Rance allegedly followed them and said "I'll blast you," while adding a homophobic slur.

Rance, who had a valid concealed carry license for her weapon, was charged with alleged aggravated assault and unlawful use of a weapon. The case is pending.

One of the passengers, Charlie Calvin, is suing Lyft on claims that the company has a duty to protect its passengers from dangerous drivers.

"Lyft needs to do more to protect the people inside the vehicles," Greening told Business Insider in a phone interview. "We see these situations over and over again in ride-share vehicles, yet the ride-share companies do not seem to be taking any responsibility for making sure that safety is a top priority."

"These allegations are disturbing," Lyft said in a statement to Business Insider. "The behavior being described violates multiple Lyft policies, including our non-discrimination and no weapons policy. As soon as this incident was reported to us, we deactivated the driver and reached out to the passenger to offer our assistance."

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