A 55-year-old rideshare driver who picked up a couple in San Bernardino was brutally beaten and robbed after he tried to end the ride, police said.
The Lyft driver was hospitalized in the attack, and San Bernardino police are hunting for the couple.
The driver's daughter told NBC4 that her father picked up the couple Oct. 2 before 8 p.m. near Rialto Avenue and F Street.
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She said after he picked them up, the passengers began arguing. The driver told them to stop or he would end the ride. At that point, the driver said the passengers opened sodas and poured them inside of his car.
The driver got out of the car and opened the trunk to remove their luggage.
Police said the couple continued to argue with the driver, and because he felt scared, he called police.
Police said they took the phone from him and began beating him, before riffling through his pockets and taking off.
The San Bernardino Police Department responded and found the victim sitting on the curb by his car, bleeding heavily from the eye.
The victim was taken to the hospital.
Lyft released the following statement after the beating: "Safety is fundamental to Lyft. The behavior described is appalling, and we have been in touch with the driver to offer our support. We have permanently removed the rider from the Lyft platform and stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation."
