NORTH PARK — A DePaul University professor says she was hurt when she was forcibly removed from an Uber Thursday when her driver refused to take her to Wrigley Field.
Lily Kim, an adjunct professor at DePaul University's Driehaus College of Business, shared a video to her Facebook page Thursday evening showing an Uber driver telling her to get out of the car and the altercation that follows, which Kim says led her to sustain "serious injuries."
Kim commented on the Facebook post that the driver accepted Kim's ride request to got to the Cubs game vs. the Dodgers, but then changed her mind about driving to Wrigley Field. Kim said she did not want to get out of the car because she was alone and unfamiliar with the neighborhood.
"Get out of my car right now," the driver can be heard saying. " ... Get the f--- out my car."
Kim responds, "Do you even know who the f--- I am?"
The driver responds, "I don't care. Get your a-- out of my car."
"I will. Just get the f--- off me," Kim says. "I told you three times," the driver says.
Kim later posted a photo of a cut on her face after the incident with the caption, "Thanks Uber for punching me in the face and scratching me... #GhettoB----." The picture was taken at the Cubs game.
She also posted a photo of a gold chain with the caption, "Uber your driver beat me up, broke my necklace and my diamond cross is now gone."
Kim did not respond to requests for comment.
Uber issued a statement saying the driver can no longer work for the service.
"As soon as we became aware of this situation, we immediately reached out to everyone involved to understand what may have happened. Our Community Guidelines prohibit this type of behavior and we have removed this driver's access to Uber."
According to Chicago Police, Kim filed a report stating that at 6:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of West Bryn Mawr Ave., while a passenger with a ride-sharing service, she became involved in a verbal altercation with the 41-year-old female driver. The driver then struck Kim in the face, the report says. Kim refused medical attention, police said.
Kim called a press conference on the incident Friday afternoon, but later canceled it, saying she was "physically unable to attend."
Kim was born and raised in Chicago and has worked as a news anchor for a Korean TV station and as a public relations agent and more during her 20-year career, according to the DePaul business school website. She also worked as a public information specialist for the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk.
