Exclusive: Uber driver shot in Fairmount speaks out as suspects remain at large
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An Uber driver who was shot during an attempted robbery in the city's Fairmount neighborhood is speaking publicly for the first time, saying the attack has left her with lasting physical and emotional scars as police continue searching for the suspects.
Danielle, a single mother to a 7-year-old daughter, was waiting to pick up a scheduled Uber passenger shortly after 12:30 a.m. on June 20 on the 2800 block of Poplar Street when she said two men approached her vehicle.
One of the suspects, whom she described as a young man wearing all black and a medical mask, pointed a gun at her driver's side window.
"I looked over and they were already pointing a gun at my face," Danielle said. "I couldn't even believe it was happening. It was almost like, 'Is this real?'"
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She said no words were exchanged before she ducked and put her SUV in drive. As she attempted to escape, she says the gunman fired, striking her in the back.
Danielle managed to drive to the next intersection, where she stopped outside a nearby bar and called for help.
"I said, 'I've been shot,'" she recalled. "I had to say it a couple of times because I didn't have the energy to speak."
A trauma nurse ran outside to help, along with an EMT. Danielle credited the pair with saving her life.
"I don't know their names. I wish I could say thank you," she said. "I'm very grateful for their help. It's because of them that I'm still alive."
Danielle was hospitalized for eight days after suffering a fractured scapula, fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.
She said the attack has left her fearful, knowing the suspects remain at large.
"I'm pretty terrified, just knowing that they haven't been caught," she said. "I just hope it doesn't happen to anyone else."
Danielle said she has driven for Uber for the past three years to support herself and her daughter.
"I'm still here for my daughter," she said. "During those times when I was getting help, I didn't know if I was going to make it. Just her being without me is heartbreaking."
Philadelphia police said the investigation remains ongoing and that there have been no arrests or updates in the case.
In a statement to Action News on Tuesday, an Uber spokesperson said, "This brazen act of violence is deeply troubling. We have been in contact with the driver to check on their well-being, and wish them a full recovery. We're standing by to assist law enforcement in their investigation."
Danielle has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover expenses as she recovers from her injuries.
