A Philadelphia Uber driver was left with life-threatening injuries after a gunman approached her vehicle and opened fire as she tried to drive away, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
The 38-year-old woman, identified by family as Danielle, was parked in the 2800 block of Poplar Street on June 20, waiting for a scheduled passenger, when a stranger knocked on her driver-side window. When she turned to look, she found herself facing a loaded firearm, according to police.
Without warning, the suspect fired a single shot as Danielle shifted into drive and attempted to flee, striking her in the shoulder. Investigators believe the attack was an attempted robbery that turned violent when she tried to escape.
Police are searching for two suspects, described as males in their late teens to early twenties, both slim in build and dressed in all-black clothing with masks covering their faces. Officers say the pair fled on foot toward 29th Street immediately after the shooting.
Despite her injuries, Danielle managed to drive to a nearby intersection before losing control near a local bar, where a trauma nurse and an EMT happened to be present. The two strangers provided emergency care until police and paramedics arrived, an intervention her family credits with saving her life.
Officers responded to a priority radio call reporting a shooting on Poplar Street and transported Danielle to a hospital, where she was listed in stable condition. Her injuries included multiple fractured ribs, a fractured shoulder blade, and a collapsed lung requiring emergency chest tube treatment. She later developed pneumonia during recovery, and doctors determined it was safer to leave the bullet lodged in her body rather than attempt removal.
Danielle, a single mother to a 7-year-old daughter, has relied on driving for Uber as her primary source of income. She remains in physical therapy as she works to regain strength and return to both work and daily life. Authorities continue to investigate and are asking the public for any information on the suspects’ whereabouts.