Police are searching for the man who attacked Eduardo Madiedo during a Lyft ride last week. (Flickr)
May 29, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan
A Lyft driver was left battered and bruised after a passenger in Astoria attacked him mid-trip.
On Thursday May 23, just after 6 p.m., Eduardo Madiedo, 36, picked up two passengers, a man and woman, who wanted to go to Mount Sinai hospital on 30th Avenue.
Once inside the car, video footage shows, the man lays down in the woman’s lap and soon grows impatient since traffic is slow. The man sits up and starts loudly moaning, saying “there’s gotta be something we can do.” He then proceeds to take off his jacket so that he is shirtless.
The man then asks Madiedo to “drive faster, please.” When Madiedo explains that he can’t get around the cars in front of him on 33rd Street, the man starts offering some back seat driving tips littered with expletives.
Madiedo tells the passenger “excuse me man, if you’re going to be disrespectful, I’ll just pull over right now.”
The passenger immediately springs up and starts clobbering Madiedo, punching him repeatedly in the head while trying to climb into the front seat. The woman tries to get the man to stop, shouting out “George” several times.
The man and woman then exit the car near 30-90 33rd St., and the man reaches back inside through the driver side window to try to punch Madiedo one more time.
Madiedo did not suffer any serious injuries from the incident, but told NBC News he may give up Lyft driving.
“I just felt like, less than human almost,” he said.
An investigation is ongoing and police are continuing to search for the assailant.
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24 Comments
Any problem could be solved with out violence but in. that situation something is missing ? What in the hell a sick human come to be so angry like that Even if he’s right he lost his right. Yes.That Texi. drivers are bad. But you have to control your anger
Adrenaline. Or an unbalanced brain.
update the man was picked up and arrested for assault and lyft banned him them from there services
Partially right. Passenger was not picked up. He turned himself in, posted bail and was granted supervised release. Due back in court July 10. His lawyers said that he has stomach issues and he was in pain.
Obviously he has anger issues too. Not his first rodeo. Get help pal.
Here’s what’s upsetting me. He’s obviously in pain and not thinking straight. This driver not once asked if he was ok. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Someone wants to go to a hospital the first thing I’ll ask if everything is ok. But that’s just me.
After he lays down on the FLOOR multiple times, takes off the only thing he was wearing which was a sweatshirt (!?!) and then start whining, I’d continue to ask if he’s alright.
So by not asking a verbally abusive passenger if he was feeling ok the driver deserved to be punched in the face.
Your point?
Screw that! The Lyft driver was doing his job and this maniac unleashed on him for no reason.
Everyone has problems but that doesn’t give you the right to attack people because you’re stressed out or in pain.
Throw that dirtbag passenger in jail.
I mean in the beginning of the trip!!! Really?????
Oh, is that what’s “upsetting” you? What’s upsetting me is, much like this violent piece of trash, you think this guy’s wants supersede the guy who is just trying to do his job and doesn’t need this garbage. He’s in pain and wants to go to the hospital so he starts talking trash and fights THE GUY DRIVING THE CAR HE IS RIDING IN? He’s lucky the guy didn’t crash and kill someone. FOH
I’m talking about when the driver heard the destination was hospital he didn’t think to ask if everything is ok. Just as a cause for care and concern. The men’s behavior was getting more and more odd so it’s obvious he’s not visiting a patient but intended to be the patient. And still: dude, you okay back there? A little compassion!
The passenger turned himself in today. He probably needed an ambulance. But even if he had insurance, the copay would probably have been more than the Lyft ride.
Well, he was obviously able bodied enough to commit assault. Regardless, a copay is no excuse for that.
Able bodied enough but clearly in pain, and maybe mental health problems too. An EMS crew would have handled this situation much better.
I’m assuming that the lady is his mother . So why didn’t she stick around to report her son and help that driver ?
When your kid does that , you clap your hands together and say “ that’s it , you’re on your own “
I would’ve fought back and beat the h*** out of him
While driving? Presumably commenter is too young to drive or has no license. The the driver would have been arrested for assault. There’s no point in violence for any reason.
Cause the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Probably on their way to the psych unit. Does Astoria General, aka “Mt Sinai” have a lock down unit? They need one for him. Another great moment in Western Civilization.
He should have called an ambulance instead.
Georgie is going to jail.
Police shouldn’t have to search too far since you need an account and credit card to order the Lyft/Uber. Charge whoever ordered the car and this scumbag shouldn’t be too far off from there.
The minute he started using profanity, I would have stopped the car and put them out right there and then when he attacked me it would have been all over for him
Uh with a moniker like ‘boy george” you ain’t actually convincing anybody that it “would have been all over for him” You sound like a typical Astoria snowflake with keyboard muscles. Any attempt at a play on words because the perp’s name is George ain’t gonna fly. KARMA KARMA KARMA CHAMELEON