Uber Driver Attacked by Passenger in Apparent Hate Crime Caught on Video

A harrowing attack on an Uber driver was caught on exclusive video, showing 29-year-old Sean Smith allegedly assaulting driver Osvaldo Rivera. The incident began when Smith, riding in the back seat, asked Rivera about his name and heritage. When Rivera shared that he was from Cuba, Smith reportedly became aggressive.

“The only reason that he attacked me is because I said I’m from Cuba,” Rivera said, describing the terrifying moments that unfolded inside his vehicle.

The attack didn’t stop there. Authorities say that after getting out of the Uber at a local transit center, Smith assaulted a law enforcement officer. Police noted that Smith was intoxicated to the point he could barely walk.

Channel 9 reports that Smith was arrested two weeks after the attack and has been charged with assault by strangulation and two counts of simple assault. Despite the charges, Smith is currently out on bond and residing in Greensboro.

Rivera, still visibly shaken by the incident, expressed concerns over Smith’s release. “I came to this country looking for that, you know, for a safe country to raise my family. And right now I don’t feel safe because he’s in the street,” Rivera said. “That’s nothing, because he tried to kill me. It was a hate crime for me.”

Attempts to reach Smith for comment were unsuccessful.

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