Uber driver accused of trying to assault woman — the fourth rideshare driver charged in a week
Dec 4, 2024, 1:17 PM | Updated: 10:34 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — For the fourth time in a week, a rideshare driver in Salt Lake County is facing criminal charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a passenger.
Braden Ray Fowers, 47, of Syracuse, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with attempted rape, a first-degree felony, for an incident that occurred six years ago.
On Nov. 3, 2018, a woman ordered an Uber to take her to work, and Fowers arrived to pick her up. He told the woman to sit in the front seat. While driving, Fowers told the woman how pretty she was and asked if she wanted to hang out later, according to charging documents.
“(The woman) told Fowers no and that Fowers was making her uncomfortable,” the charges state.
Once they arrived at the woman’s work, Fowers “ran over to the passenger side door and opened it. Fowers had his pants pulled down,” the charges allege. He then allegedly tried to inappropriately touch the woman who screamed and kicked Fowers, causing him to run off.
Woman shares her story after rideshare drivers charged in Salt Lake County sexual abuse cases
The woman then ran into the building where she worked and locked the door.
Court documents do not indicate why charges are being filed so long after the incident. However, this is the fourth rideshare driver accused of abusing a woman in the past week.
- Abdoulaye Ali, 36, of Salt Lake City, a Lyft driver, was charged with forcible sexual abuse and accused of inappropriately touching a woman getting a ride home from a concert in April.
- Alexander Richardson, 24, of North Salt Lake, an Uber driver, is charged with attempted forcible sexual abuse and aggravated kidnapping in the course of committing unlawful detention, accused of trying to take advantage of a crying woman who was going home from a bar in August.
- Khairullah Haidary, 37, of Millcreek, a Lyft driver, was charged this week with two counts of forcible sexual abuse for allegedly inappropriately touching a woman he was driving home in February 2023.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told KSL TV that although ride-share services are generally safe, passengers should be cautious.
“Bad people are going to do bad things, so you just need to be mindful and never let your guard down,” he said. “This is not an indictment of rideshares. … I think it’s about situationally being aware that when you get into a car, sometimes you are in a vulnerable state.”
Gill advised passengers to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings, travel in pairs whenever possible, have their phones’ GPS turned on, and ensure the car and driver picking them up matched the descriptions in the rideshare apps.
