ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — An Florida Uber driver was assaulted after he refused to drive a teenager who had been reported as a runaway, police said.
According to St. Petersburg Police, at 8:40 p.m. on Tuesday, police responded to a caller who said that a man was bleeding in the McDonald's parking lot at 1020 34th Street N. When officers arrived they found an Uber driver, who had been beaten and seriously injured, lying on the pavement.
Police say that the Uber driver, 47-year-old Marvin Carroll was called to pick someone up from the McDonald's parking lot. When he arrived, several teens and young men got into his vehicle, including a juvenile and 21-year-old Salvatore Henderson.
A witness in the parking lot told the driver not to accept them because the juvenile had been reported as a runaway earlier that day. The witness, identified as a relative, was trying to take the juvenile home.
The Uber driver then demanded everyone to get out of his vehicle. The juvenile and Henderson refused and began hitting Carroll, police say. Once out of the vehicle, the juvenile and Henderson punched Carroll, knocking him down. Carroll fell and struck his head on the pavement and is in critical condition.
The juvenile and Henderson left the scene. Officers arrested them a short time later. Both are charged with aggravated battery.
Scripps station WFTS in Tampa spoke to the juvenile's uncle.
"We apologize and we feel deeply saddened, hopefully, he comes through," said the uncle.