Rideshare driver shot in the face in Brooklyn, police sources say

A rideshare driver was shot in the face Friday morning in Brooklyn, according to police sources.

Officers said the driver got into a collision while dropping off a passenger around 4:30 a.m. on North Portland Avenue between Park and Myrtle Avenues in Fort Greene. 

Fernando Mateo, of the Federation of Taxi Drivers, said the driver was trying to deescalate the situation and advised that police be called.

Mateo said meanwhile, according to the victim's family, a passenger in one of the vehicles called family members, who came out of a NYCHA complex on North Portland Avenue.

Then another individual, whose connection to anyone involved in the collision is unknown, also emerged from the NYCHA complex and shot the 50-year-old driver in the cheek.

The suspect then ran off. No arrests have been made.

The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery. He is expected to survive.

"We're hoping that we're gonna get a lot more information before the day is over," Mateo said. "But we are certainly very concerned."

"No taxi driver should fear being executed simply for picking up a passenger and earning an honest living," the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers said in a statement.

Officials from the organization also pointed to another unsolved shooting that happened July 11, where a driver was shot in the neck.  

They will help establish GoFundMe campaigns, work with the Crime Victims Board and other programs to ensure the drivers get financial and medical support.

The federation is holding a news conference Sunday afternoon to provide an update on the drivers and announce a reward for information related to the incident.