‘Before I knew it, I’d been hit’: Lyft driver shot on the job in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Lyft driver Lamar McCray said he had just picked up his first passenger of the night around 11:30 p.m. on Old Denny Street Saturday, when the evening took a violent turn.

“Before I knew it, I hear the glass break in the back and I’d been hit by a bullet," McCray said.

According to McCray, his passenger had just gotten into the car and urged him to drive.

"He got in the car and said, ‘go, go, go,’" McCray recalled.

McCray said that's when another man, who Richmond Police identified as 46-year-old Elwood Lewis, came to up to his car and asked if McCray was with the passenger.

"I said, 'No, I’m just a Lyft driver here to pick him up,' and he had an angry, aggressive tone," McCray said.

Moments later, McCray said Lewis opened fire and stated that he was struck twice, while his passenger was unharmed.

"The thought about ‘I’m going to die,’ it didn’t even register in my head,” McCray said. "I was just like, 'I gotta make it to VCU.'”

Despite his injuries, McCray said he managed to drive several minutes toward East Main Street, while his passenger held pressure on his wound and called 911.

"My body’s starting to go numb," he recounted. "I couldn’t make it, at that point, I gotta leave it to God."

Police met McCray on near the BP gas station on East Main Street, and rushed him to the hospital.

McCray, who has been a rideshare driver for three years, said the experience was something he never imagined. "What I want to tell Lyft drivers, rideshare drivers, or delivery drivers is, just be mindful of your surroundings and trust your gut instinct," he said.

He said he will not return to driving, however if you'd like to support him as he recovers and finds a new job, you can donate to McCray here.

In a statement emailed to 8News, Lyft said:

"The behavior described is reprehensible and has no place in society. Our thoughts are with the driver, and we’ve been in touch to offer support. We have also reached out to the rider, and we stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation.”

Lyft Spokesperson

Officers said Lewis has been charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with additional charges are pending.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Major Crimes Detective Sergeant M. Mocello at 804-646-6775.