A 19-year-old woman in Florida has claimed she was forced to jump out of a moving car to escape after an Uber driver attempted to "kidnap" her.
Brooke Adkins suffered cuts and scrapes to her feet and hands after her Uber driver reportedly refused to stop the car when she asked to get out multiple times on Wednesday.
The teenager uploaded a picture of her injuries to social media, claiming that she wanted "girls to realise this happens".
"PSA tonight I realized that being kidnapped from an uber driver is 100% real," she wrote. "I’m so thankful that I got out okay but jumping out a moving car window and running for help has to be the scariest thing I’ve ever gone thru. I want girls to realize this happens & to be safe, always."
According to a Tallahassee police report, her driver, 30-year-old Destiny Racquel Green, was taken into custody on suspicion of kidnapping and false imprisonment.
Afterwards, an Uber spokesperson named the incident "troubling" and stated the driver's access to the app had been removed.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning when a male friend called the taxi service to take Adkins home. The alleged victim claims she first began to panic when she realised her driver was not taking her to her destination.
"I went into survival mode so quick," Adkins reportedly told WFLA, a Tampa NBC affiliate. "I was far. Like, I got 25 to 30 minutes away. I’m like, 'Where are you taking me?'"
She added on Twitter that she "knew I was being kidnapped because she mentioned that she wanted to turn the uber off to drive around with me and 'listen to music".
"I thought that was so weird but was just trying to be nice maybe she wanted a friend or something so I told her that I would but to keep the uber," the 19-year-old wrote.
According to the report, the car was briefly stopped by Florida State University Police while the pair drove around the block, and the driver, at one point, asked Adkins to "place her hand on the center console and hold it down."
The teenager allegedly told police she thought the request was "weird" and, afterwards told Green to drop her off. However, the driver - who police allegedly claimed was intoxicated - refused.
"Adkins said she continued to ask Green to let her out and Green told Adkins that she was taking her to the hospital," the report reads. "Adkins said she asked Green to let her out of the vehicle at almost every stop light and Green continuously said no and nothing else."
The young girl reportedly eventually FaceTimed a friend, then called 911 before deciding to jump out of through the car's windows; she lowered the window and held down the button to keep Green from closing it. According to police, she could be heard screaming, "Help me!" on the phone line.
After escaping, Adkins ran towards a Walgreen parking lot, where she stayed with someone before the police arrived.
In the wake of the story hitting the news, the 19-year-old tweeted to thank people for spreading the word about her terrifying experience.
"Thank you guys so much for spreading the word!!" she wrote. "Kidnapping has been happening more recently than ever and I want to raise awareness that everyone just needs to be safe and aware of your surroundings and also who you are with".
According to an NBC News report, Green has entered a conditional plea of not guilty, claiming Adkins changed her destination mid-ride and she "does not remember the young woman ever asking to be let out".