Mansfield Man Charged with Strangling Uber Driver in Virginia

Image Credit: Virginia State Police

MANSFIELD, MA - A Mansfield man in Virginia attacked an Uber driver, police said.

Maxwell A. Sweeney, 22, was arrested and charged with strangling another and causing wounding or injury and vehicle vandalism. The strangulation charge is a felony, according to the Virginia State Police.

Sunday afternoon, an Uber driver picked up two passengers on West Main Street in Richmond. The driver was heading south on I-95 when he was advised to return to Richmond for another fare, state police said. As the vehicle was driving north towards the city,Sweeney allegedly reached up from the backseat and began choking the driver.

The driver was able to safely pull to the right shoulder at which point the suspect fled the scene on foot. The other passenger remained at the scene, police said.

The driver did not need medical treatment, but there were signs of an assault, police said.

Maxwell is being held at the Chesterfield County Jail.