WICKER PARK — Accused of causing a three-car crash, the driver of a Toyota Prius with window decals advertising both Uber and Lyft ride-hailing services was ticketed by police late Monday for failing to stop at a stop sign and for operating an uninsured vehicle, police and witnesses said.
The incident occurred around 10:35 p.m. Monday in the 1800 block of West North Avenue, according to officer Kevin Quaid, a Chicago Police spokesman.
Quaid said the 26-year-old driver of the Toyota, Joseph Rahman, and his 33-year-old male passenger were both taken to St. Mary's Hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Quaid said that Rahman was headed northbound on Honore Street when he "disregarded a stop sign and made a left turn in front of two westbound vehicles (Chevy & BMW) on North Avenue, causing all three vehicles to crash."
The driver, from near west suburban Elmwood Park, was issued citations for failure to stop at a stop sign and operating an uninsured vehicle, Quaid said.
Quaid said the driver of the BMW fled the scene of the accident after the crash and the driver of the Chevy remained onsite. No other injuries were reported.
Wicker Park resident Lindsay Bayley said she and her husband, Drew Bayley, "heard loud crashes" and saw "all airbags deployed" and the passenger of the Toyota requesting medical attention.
Though the Bayleys said the Toyota Prius had both Uber and Lyft stickers in its window and was transporting a passenger, Quaid was unable to confirm that detail.
An Uber spokeswoman said the driver was not listed in the company's records as driving an Uber passenger at the time of the crash and was uncertain if the driver is an Uber contractor. A Lyft official also said that the driver was not listed in records as driving a Lyft passenger at the time of the crash but was not able to say if the driver is a Lyft contractor.
The driver's Facebook profile says he works as a "mentor" at Lyft Chicago. Drew Bayley, after looking at the driver's profile photo on Facebook, identified him as the man who was involved in the crash.
Quaid said that the driver of the BMW has yet to be located.
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