21-year-old climbed out Uber window, then died, NY cops say. ‘Horrible loss of life’
A 21-year-old woman died after she climbed halfway out the rear window of an Uber ride in western New York, police said.
She was the Uber driver’s only passenger when she climbed out of the moving car “to the point where her upper torso was outside the vehicle” the evening of Feb. 8 in Cheektowaga, according to the Cheektowaga Police Department.
Then, she fell onto the Kensington Expressway and was struck by another vehicle, police said in a Feb. 22 news release.
The Uber driver and the driver of the vehicle that struck her “immediately” called 911 in separate phone calls, Capt. Jeffrey Schmidt told McClatchy News on Feb. 22.
When police arrived, the woman was pronounced dead, they said
It’s unknown how the woman fell from the Uber or why she climbed out of the window, according to Schmidt, who said these unclear circumstances are “extraordinarily frustrating.”
“We have this tragic loss of life and we can only evaluate the evidence that is there…Unfortunately we’re just unable to put together an actual picture of the motive of what caused her to lift herself out of that window or why she fell,” he said.
Following an investigation involving an examination of physical evidence and multiple witness interviews, police are now considering her death an accident, according to the release.
“Evidence does not support any criminal charges at this time,” police said.
There is “zero” indication that the woman was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when she climbed out the window, according to Schmidt.
“There is zero indication that this was any type of a suicide. We have no evidence that points that way,” he added.
The investigation will most likely be concluded at this point, he said.
“Our hearts go out to this young woman’s family during this incredibly tragic time. We’re continuing to look into this, and are standing by to assist police in their investigation,” an Uber spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement on Feb. 22.
The woman’s name hasn’t been released out of respect for her family, according to Schmidt, who said the family is “extraordinarily shaken up.”
“We recognize what a horrible loss of life this is,” he said, adding that the woman “was far too young to be taken from this world.”
“It’s horrible that we’re not able to provide anybody with any more type of closure,” he said.
Cheektowaga is about 10 miles northeast of Buffalo.
This story was originally published February 22, 2024 at 5:03 PM with the headline "21-year-old climbed out Uber window, then died, NY cops say. ‘Horrible loss of life’."
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