Uber Driver Arrested After Dispute With Police During Traffic Stop, Passengers Left Behind

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — An on-duty Uber driver was arrested on Wednesday in Stafford County after a traffic violation escalated, and the three passengers in his vehicle were left without a ride.

A deputy said they stopped the driver because he failed to move over a lane for emergency vehicles. During the stop, the Uber driver told the deputy he would not show up for his scheduled court date for the traffic violation, according to authorities.

The Stafford County Sheriff's Office did not identify the Uber driver by name, but authorities said he was a man from Woodbridge.

The driver was written a summons for reckless driving. After his initial arrest, a magistrate released the driver and told him that the court would issue a failure to appear warrant if he did not return for his court date.

If found guilty of reckless driving, the driver could face up to one year in prison, based on Virginia's sentencing guidelines.

The initial traffic stop occurred around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday on U.S. 1 near Acadia Street. A Stafford County deputy said he was conducting a different traffic stop when a Toyota sedan passed him without moving to the left lane, which was open.

Virginia law requires drivers to move over for stopped emergency vehicles if another lane is available. If another lane is not available, drivers should reduce their speed.

When the deputy stopped the Toyota sedan, they learned the driver was working for Uber and had three passengers in the car, according to the sheriff's office.

The deputy said they wrote a summons for reckless driving. However, the driver then told the deputy that he would not appear in court on the scheduled date, which is a requirement, the sheriff's office said.

The deputy then arrested the driver and had the car towed, according to the police report. That was the end of the Uber ride for the three passengers.

"Fortunately, they were close enough to get to their destination, but we are unsure how many stars they will give this ride," the sheriff's office wrote on social media.

The sheriff's office told Patch that a deputy offered the passengers a ride to their destination, but they declined.