Photo: Uber.com
A New York Uber driver has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a teen he allowed to “car surf” during a ride in September. The teen died in his sleep, from injuries sustained when he fell from the roof of the moving car.
The 24-year-old driver, Danyal Cheema, was arraigned on Monday, NBC News reports. He pleaded not guilty on manslaughter charges and his bail was set at $200,000, but prosecutors are determined to prove he was responsible for the death of 15-year-old Ryan Mullen.
One night in September, Mullen and 2 other friends called an Uber after they’d been out clubbing and drinking, prosecutors told the court during Monday’s hearing. When Cheema arrived, they offered him $70 to allow 2 of them to “car surf” on the roof of his Toyota Highlander, but they withdrew their offer after some consideration and coming to the conclusion that it was too much money.
The ride started and they had another change of heart: this time, they offered the driver $40 for the same thing. This time, Cheema accepted, so he pulled over and allowed Mullen and one of his friends to climb on the roof of the car. The third teen was filming the whole thing for SnapChat.
When the car started, Mullen lost his balance and fell backwards, his head hitting the pavement hard. At the time, he seemed ok, so Cheema took the 3 boys to their destination. Mullen died in his sleep that night, with the cause of death being blunt force trauma.
Prosecutors are arguing that, as the driver of the car, it was Cheema’s duty to ensure that no harm came to his passengers, which didn’t happen.
“This was an incredibly bad decision by the defendant, a bad decision by the boys involved, obviously,” the prosecutor said. “But at the end of the day, that defendant is an adult contracted to safely bring those boys home. And he failed to do that.”
If found guilty, Cheema faces up to 15 years in jail.
One night in September, Mullen and 2 other friends called an Uber after they’d been out clubbing and drinking, prosecutors told the court during Monday’s hearing. When Cheema arrived, they offered him $70 to allow 2 of them to “car surf” on the roof of his Toyota Highlander, but they withdrew their offer after some consideration and coming to the conclusion that it was too much money.
The ride started and they had another change of heart: this time, they offered the driver $40 for the same thing. This time, Cheema accepted, so he pulled over and allowed Mullen and one of his friends to climb on the roof of the car. The third teen was filming the whole thing for SnapChat.
When the car started, Mullen lost his balance and fell backwards, his head hitting the pavement hard. At the time, he seemed ok, so Cheema took the 3 boys to their destination. Mullen died in his sleep that night, with the cause of death being blunt force trauma.
Prosecutors are arguing that, as the driver of the car, it was Cheema’s duty to ensure that no harm came to his passengers, which didn’t happen.
“This was an incredibly bad decision by the defendant, a bad decision by the boys involved, obviously,” the prosecutor said. “But at the end of the day, that defendant is an adult contracted to safely bring those boys home. And he failed to do that.”
If found guilty, Cheema faces up to 15 years in jail.
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