COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS -- A survivor of sexual assault said she was assaulted just feet from her house by the man hired to drive her home.
The woman, who KSL TV is not identifying, shared her story Tuesday in hopes of raising awareness about a potential risk she said can be posed by rideshare services.
"This (was) all happening right here in my driveway," the woman said. "This home is my safe place and they took that safety away from me in that moment."
The woman said she used Lyft to return from a concert on April 19.
"As we were getting off the exit to my house, I leaned my head against the glass, later than I'm normally out," she said. "(We) got to the driveway. The driver assumed I was asleep and proceeded to recline the front seat and tried to put his hand down my pants."
When the woman began to struggle, she said the driver locked her door.
"I was able to fend him off of me long enough to find the lock and get out," the woman said.
The driver, identified as 36-year-old Abdoulaye Ali, was charged on Nov. 26 with second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse, according to court documents.
This sexual assault is one of three cases where Salt Lake County prosecutors recently filed sexual abuse charges against rideshare drivers.
"Bad people are going to do bad things, so you just need to be mindful and never let your guard down," said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.
Gill did not address the individual cases. He said that while rideshare services are generally safe, passengers should be cautious.
"This is not an indictment of rideshares," he said. "I think it's about situationally being aware that when you get into a car, sometimes you are in a vulnerable state."
Gill advised passengers to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings, travel in pairs whenever possible, have their phones' GPS turned on, and ensure the car and driver picking them up matched the descriptions in the rideshare apps.
The woman from Cottonwood Heights case had two friends wait with her for her ride and made sure the driver's picture matched. She also always calls her husband at the start of a rideshare to let him know she's expected home and keeps her purse on her in case she needs a quick escape. She urged passengers to recognize that a child safety lock on a rideshare car could pose an added safety hazard during such encounters.
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