A 23-year-old man is in custody after allegedly bashing an Uber driver and stealing his car in Sydney’s north-west this morning.
Police say that, at about 12.35am, the 49-year-old rideshare driver accepted a booking from two 23-year-olds in Box Hill.
From there, they were driven to a service station in Rouse Hill, where they bought some food, and then to Winston Hills, where one of them is accused of bashing the driver, cutting his head and face.
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Police said the driver ran from the car and sought help from a nearby resident, who called Triple Zero.
The two men drove away in the rideshare driver’s car, a white 2018 VW Tiguan.
Just under 12 hours after the alleged attack, the 23-year-old accused of bashing the driver was arrested at a house in Winston Hills.
He is assisting police with their inquiries.
The other 23-year has not been arrested but is also assisting police with their investigation.
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The driver went to hospital for treatment following the alleged attack but has now been released.
“He was taken to hospital where he’s been treated for his injuries, he’s since been discharged from hospital for follow-up medical appointments to come,” Superintendent Barry Vincent said.
Police said they were concerned by the alleged attack.
“It causes us a great deal of concern that someone earning their wage at such an early time of the morning, that this can occur,” Vincent said.
The driver’s car has been located by police, and the 49-year-old is planning on returning to work soon.
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In a statement, Uber condemned the alleged attack.
“This is a shocking incident and we strongly condemn any criminal or violent activity against driver partners,” an Uber spokesperson said.
“As soon as we were notified of the incident, we contacted the driver-partner to offer our support and will continue assisting law enforcement with their investigation.
“We are deeply committed to the safety of driver partners on the Uber app, and have a number of guidelines and features in place with the goal of keeping drivers safe.”
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