Family visiting Miami Beach: Lyft driver ran over mom's foot 3 times, took off & police did not show
MIAMI BEACH - This isn't the South Florida getaway Lori Fenstermaker had in mind.
"I was really scared, and I was in shock and just in so much pain that I don't remember what happened after," said Lori Fenstermaker.
Lori Fenstermaker, along with her daughter Meg, her husband and son visited South Florida this week to check out the University of Miami, a school her son was interested in attending until Tuesday night.
"My son said he didn't want to move to Miami or go to this college based on how unsafe it seems here," said Fenstermaker.
Tuesday night, the evening before her son toured the campus, Fenstermaker says she and her family had dinner and then walked to 4th Street and Washington Avenue in South Beach.
She says they called Lyft for a ride back to their hotel around 10:30 p.m., but as Fenstermaker stepped into the car, she says something went horribly wrong.
"My left leg was in, the door was still open, and he drove away, and my foot was under the tire."
Fenstermaker says the driver ran over her foot three times with his car.
"He put the break on and then it rolled back over my foot and then he did it again, then he had to roll over it again so that I could get my foot out," said Fenstermaker.
Fenstermaker says she dropped to the ground in agonizing pain, her family watching her as she screamed.
"I had her lying down on my legs and I had her in my arms and I was like it's going to be okay, like it's okay," said Meg Fenstermaker, Lori's daughter.
Fenstermaker was rushed to a local hospital with her daughter as her son and husband waited for police.
"When I got to the hospital, five different people said welcome to Miami, this happens all the time here," said Lori.
The Fenstermakers say they called police four times, but no one showed up, and that the Lyft driver took off.
"The police had been mentioned and the Lyft driver drove away without like saying anything," said Meg.
It was the Fenstermakers' first time in Miami Beach, but they say they won't be back for a while after this traumatic experience.
"I don't feel like it's safe, and I don't think that there's enough regulation around rideshare," said Lori.
We reached out to Lyft for comment, and they provided us with this statement that says in part:
"We have contacted the rider to offer our support, permanently removed the driver's account from the platform, and stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation."
Fenstermaker needs to see an orthopedic doctor over the next week to see the extent of the damage to her ankle.