A 48-year-old Uber driver was found guilty of dangerous driving and sentenced to 15 months in jail after driving his car into a crowd in London in October 2017.
The trial has also uncovered a series of illegalities Juma Omar had committed to become an Uber driver, as well as the negative impact the company’s previously lax policies and security checks had on the general public. Specifically, Court News UK reveals, Omar didn’t have a driver’s license, a private taxi license or an insurance on the Toyota Prius he drove for Uber.
The October 2017 incident triggered a terrorist alert, but Omar, at the time, claimed that his brakes had “failed.” The court was shown CCTV footage of the moment he rammed into pedestrians, made a U-turn and then hit more people – 11 in total were injured. The court also heard that a proper investigation of the Prius revealed it was in complete functioning order, so either Omar mistook the acceleration for the brake or he hit those people on purpose.
As for how he managed to secure the job with Uber, he did it by using fake documents. A proper background check would have revealed that and made it impossible for him to work for the company. In June this year, Uber was granted a temporary license in London and, as part of the agreement with TfL (Transport for London), it will take extra measures to prevent situations like this from happening.
“The public is entitled to assume that the driver of an Uber car is who he says he is and they have proper qualifications – license, insurance and the necessary paperwork,” the judge told Omar in court, during the sentencing hearing. “You flouted those important safeguards so the public was at risk whenever you were driving.”
“You drove that Toyota Prius with your foot on the accelerator at 100 per cent pressure for over six seconds reaching speeds of almost 30mph,” the judge added, referring to the incident. “Witnesses spoke of being run down thrown on to the bonnet of the car and railings as you careered around. It is no thanks to you that nobody suffered really serious harm. It was an act of utter recklessness with the most serious consequences.”
Omar and Uber remain liable of being sued by the victims for compensation.
The October 2017 incident triggered a terrorist alert, but Omar, at the time, claimed that his brakes had “failed.” The court was shown CCTV footage of the moment he rammed into pedestrians, made a U-turn and then hit more people – 11 in total were injured. The court also heard that a proper investigation of the Prius revealed it was in complete functioning order, so either Omar mistook the acceleration for the brake or he hit those people on purpose.
As for how he managed to secure the job with Uber, he did it by using fake documents. A proper background check would have revealed that and made it impossible for him to work for the company. In June this year, Uber was granted a temporary license in London and, as part of the agreement with TfL (Transport for London), it will take extra measures to prevent situations like this from happening.
“The public is entitled to assume that the driver of an Uber car is who he says he is and they have proper qualifications – license, insurance and the necessary paperwork,” the judge told Omar in court, during the sentencing hearing. “You flouted those important safeguards so the public was at risk whenever you were driving.”
“You drove that Toyota Prius with your foot on the accelerator at 100 per cent pressure for over six seconds reaching speeds of almost 30mph,” the judge added, referring to the incident. “Witnesses spoke of being run down thrown on to the bonnet of the car and railings as you careered around. It is no thanks to you that nobody suffered really serious harm. It was an act of utter recklessness with the most serious consequences.”
Omar and Uber remain liable of being sued by the victims for compensation.