Uber Driver Attacked By Riders; Left On Side Of Road In Dallas' Knox-Henderson Area

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A North Texas Uber driver is hoping police will find four young men he gave a ride to on the Fourth of July.

Jordan Smith said they stole from him and physically assaulted him, before leaving him on the side of the road.

Three months ago, Smith said he signed up to be an Uber driver trying to earn some extra money.

"My daughter, she has type one diabetes," he said. "We have medical costs related to the diabetes that are really high."

This year, instead of celebrating the Fourth of July with his family, he decided to drive for Uber.

"July 4th is a really lucrative night," he said. "We needed the money."

Smith said he picked up four young men from Deep Ellum and drove them to an apartment in the Knox-Henderson area.

As they arrived, he said he noticed one them taking things from his car and started recording what was happening. Then one of the men grabbed his phone.

"He chunked it down the street," he said. "I went to go get it. When I got back to the van, the lights were on, it was beeping and the key was gone."

He said he then asked them where it was and all he could see was a fast, fist-motion.

"I did kind of feel like I could die," Smith said. "He was hitting me so hard. It crushed this part of my jaw because it hit the street and he kept screaming."

The men left him in the street, but he said another Uber driver noticed him and came to his aid.

After the other Uber driver rushed over to him, Smith was able to get medical attention.

The incident led to a broken jaw which must remain wired shut for the next six weeks.

Smith said he filed a police report and police are investigating, but the men have not been found. Meanwhile, his medical bills are mounting.

"It's really frustrating," he said. "That's the word that comes to mind, is frustrating"

Smith said he can't work right now. He's not sure if he will ever go back to Uber driving again. If he does, he wants to see more safety measures put in place.

He said he thinks just like drivers, passengers should pass a background check before they're able to use the Uber app.

Anyone interested in donating to Smith and his family while he's recovering can donate funds here.