Muskogee Uber Driver Carjacked On The Job

A Muskogee Uber driver says she's shaken up after she was carjacked on the job.

Jessica Hedges said the man who carjacked her at gunpoint made it all the way to Coweta before Troopers arrested him. She said this will definitely change how she runs her business moving forward.

Hedges said she's only been driving with Uber for six months.

"This is not real. This can't be happening," Hedges said.

She said she was dropping off one of her riders when another request came through.

"Uber doesn't actually show pictures when you're accepting trips, it just shows first names," she said.

Hedges said she picked the man up near Grant Foreman Elementary school in Muskogee.

"Big jacket, kind of cinched up," Hedges said. "Now that it's happened, I guess that's the only trigger sign."

She said the man got into her car. As she turned around to talk to him, she stared down the barrel of a gun.

"He pulled a weapon, which looked like a pistol, pointed it at my face and said get out of the car," Hedges said. "He said leave your keys, leave your phone, get out of the car."

Hedges left her keys but kept her cell phone, and immediately called 911. She gave state troopers a description of her car, and they pulled it over and arrested the man less than two hours later in the Coweta area.

"This is the first Uber-jacking I've heard of in this area," said OHP Trooper Adam Wood.

Fortunately, Hedges got her car back with minimal damage. She said the man had ripped her “Uber” sign from her front windshield, and broke it.

Hedges said moving forward, she plans on taking some type of self-defense class and will be more selective on who she gives rides to.

"You don't expect it to happen to you. And it did," Hedges said.

Hedges said she made Uber aware of what happened, and they may help her pay to get her car back from the wrecker service. 

Uber Released this statement regarding the incident:

“What’s been described is deeply troubling and upon learning of it we immediately removed the rider’s access to the app. We are in communication with the driver and law enforcement and stand ready to assist the investigation.”