Uber Driver Stranded On I-95 Buys Teen Passenger Hotel Room

January 8, 2022

An Uber driver who was stranded on I-95 in Virginia is being praised for his kindness and determination to get a young passenger home safe.

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DaVante Williams was stuck on I-95 near Washington, D.C. for nearly 6 hours with an "overwhelmed" teenage passenger who was trying to get home to Williamsburg, Virginia — about 150 miles away.

The teenage girl was originally going to take a train, but it was canceled due to a derailment, so she turned to Uber. Williams said she was "very, very emotional" after first having attempted to get home on a canceled train ride, only to become stranded on the highway.

"She would call her mother or call her father here and there to communicate what was going on," Williams said. "She was overwhelmed, and I totally understood because all she wanted to do was get home."

He also spoke to her parents to let them know he would take care of their daughter.

Williams finally found a way to exit the interstate around 7:30 a.m. the next morning. Exhausted from sitting in traffic all night and still a long way from home, Williams booked a hotel room for the young rider to get some sleep and make alternative travel plans.

He even offered to drive her the rest of the way home once the roads were clear, at no charge. Ultimately, a family friend was able to pick her up and drive her safely home.

An Uber representative later called Williams, thanking him and asking for a receipt of the hotel room to reimburse him.

He's also been offered a managing job for Ride Alto, which is an "upscale ride-sourcing service" that operates in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and D.C.