Armed Lyft Hero Shoots Carjacker With Rifle As He Steals His SUV, Then Shoots Driver Of Getaway Car [VIDEO]

 On Monday night, a Lyft driver in Philadelphia (almost) fell victim to a carjacking in the middle of the day, but luckily was carrying a gun and shot both criminals

The 38-year-old Lyft driver was rear-ended by a Honda in a very public area and, when he stopped his car, the carjacker ran up with an automatic rifle and pointed it at the driver. The driver and woman in his passenger seat both got out and the carjacker got it. When the criminal started to drive off, the Lyft driver – who had a concealed carry permit – shot at the carjacker and hit him twice in the torso.

The second suspect, still in the Honda, tried to run over the Lyft driver, prompting the driver to fire again. This criminal suffered a gunshot wound on his right side.

Both suspects have been taken to the hospital and are in critical condition.

FOX 29 reporter, Steve Keeley, explains the events of Monday’s incident in the above YouTube video. When talking about the Lyft driver’s concealed carry permit, he says “you would think every Lyft driver and Uber driver who doesn’t want to die on the job would have that as well”.

In a statement from Philadelphia PD’s Chief Inspector Scott Small, he expresses how fortunate the victim was to have had a weapon on him for protection. “Fortunately our… victim wasn’t shot because he had a rifle put to him,” said Small, “and our Lyft driver had a weapon that he used and shot both of the perpetrators.”

It is becoming increasingly important for delivery/transportation drivers to have personal protection against the all too common carjackings that are taking place. “[T]his case again illustrates why so many delivery drivers, food delivery drivers, … Uber and Lyft drivers are all running to gun stores and getting legal guns because this is what’s happening on a daily basis all around the country,” said Keeley.

The frequency of these types of attacks is not overstated by Keeley, and the very next night another attempted carjacking took place in Philadelphia. This time the victim was an Uber driver, and the driver was shot in the back. Fortunately, the injuries sustained by the victim were not fatal.

As carjackings continue to make these bold attacks, it is increasingly important for these drivers to have weapons not only for personal protection but also to protect their passengers and nearby civilians.