iStock/Thinkstock(DENVER) — An Uber driver allegedly shot and killed his passenger in Denver on a major interstate early Friday morning, police said.
The shooting happened as the vehicle drove across a ramp from University Boulevard bridge to southbound Interstate 25 in Colorado’s capital city, forcing the temporary closure of the roadway through morning rush hour.
Footage from the scene showed the silver sedan had crashed into the wall at the end of the entrance ramp, which remained closed.
Investigators believe the driver and his passenger got into an altercation inside the vehicle, according to Denver Police Department spokesman Sonny Jackson. Shots were fired, and the passenger was wounded and transported to a nearby hospital where he later died.
The driver was also treated for unspecified injuries, Jackson said.
Jackson said the driver, identified by police as 29-year-old Michael Hancock, is an employee of the ridesharing company Uber. But it was not immediately clear whether he was working at the time of the shooting.
Jackson urged witnesses with any information to come forward.
“We do know this person was an Uber driver. We’re going to determine if he was actually on a ride when this happened,” the police spokesman told reporters at a press conference Friday. “We’re going to determine what the relationship was between what appears to be a passenger and a driver prior to this particular ride.”
Hancock was arrested for first-degree murder in connection with the early morning shooting, police said.
Uber said in a statement that it was “deeply troubled” by the incident. The San-Francisco-based company, which said it is working with Denver police, confirmed that Hancock has had access to the Uber app for nearly three years and Friday’s incident appears to be associated with an on-app trip.
“We are all deeply troubled by the events in Denver today,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement Friday. “Our thoughts are with the families of those involved, and we will continue working closely with police.”
Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.