Uber driver dies in fiery Fishtown crash after suffering a medical emergency
The 31-year-old man was driving four Canadian tourists back to their lodging from the Roots Picnic. The passengers were able to escape from the car unharmed.
A 31-year-old Uber driver died Saturday night in a fiery crash below I-95 in Fishtown, police said.
The driver, whose name hasn’t been released, suffered a medical emergency after he picked up four Canadian tourists from the Roots Picnic at the Mann Center, according to the Philadelphia Police Department’s preliminary investigation.
Traveling westbound on the 1000 block of Marlborough Street at 9:03 p.m., the driver lost control of the white Hyundai he was driving, police said. The car crashed into three parked cars and caught fire.
The four passengers were able to get out of the car unharmed, police said. The driver was pronounced dead by medics at the scene.
There were 31 motor vehicle crash fatalities in Philadelphia this year through May 25, according to data from Open Data Philly.
The rate of fatal crashes among Uber rides is lower than the U.S. national average, according to the rideshare company’s 2021-2022 U.S. Safety Report. The rate of fatal Uber rides was roughly 1 in 12 million during the two-year period, resulting in 153 lives lost. Uber drivers represent 29% of all deaths.
“Our hearts ache for the driver’s family and loved ones during this unthinkable time,” an Uber spokesperson said. “We are working to get in touch with the riders to check on their well-being and stand ready to support law enforcement however we can.”
Car crashes are not the only risk Uber drivers face. In April, Olatunji W. Bolaji, a 77-year-old rideshare driver from Norristown, was fatally shot in the head as gunmen opened fire on his 22-year-old passenger in Center City.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to include Uber’s statement.