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Lyft driver attacked by rider before stealing car: police
Once they reached the drop-off location, the Lyft rider says he was attacked from behind, first with a knife and then a cable or wire to try and choke him.
FRISCO, Texas - A Lyft driver who suffered a brutal attack during a ride is out of the hospital, though he remains in very bad shape.
On Monday night, the 25-year-old ride-share driver picked up a man for a ride, and police say that man attacked him from behind, stabbing his throat and stealing his car.
25-year-old Dilaver Berk is bedridden but thankful to be alive.
The Lyft driver has stitches across his neck. The wound is too graphic to show. Bandages cover deep gashes to his hands.
Berk's friend, Dustin Tovi, spoke on his behalf Thursday.
"He was rushed to the hospital, thankfully. The paramedics got to him just in time," he said.
Berk told police he picked up 19-year-old Antwain Williams of Frisco while driving for Lyft Monday evening.
Once they reached the drop-off location at Legends at Legacy Apartments off Legacy Drive, Berk says he was attacked from behind, first with a knife and then a cable or wire to try and choke him.
"The rider took a knife to Dilaver's throat and slashed his throat. He did that a couple of times," said Tovi. "Dilaver put his hands right in front of the knife and asked the rider, ‘Hey, whatever you want. Leave me alone.’ And then he had a wire to put around his neck. And Dilaver reached out as well. And he got a lot of injuries to his fingers and his neck because he was stabbed a couple of times."
Frisco police say Williams took Berk's Toyota Camry and left him in the apartment parking lot. Thankfully, there was a woman nearby to help Berk and call 911.
Hours later, a patrol officer spotted the stolen Camry near Highway 423 and Rockhill. Police tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver sped away.
Police say Williams crashed out and tried to run but was eventually arrested.
Meanwhile, Berk moved from Turkey to North Texas last year and sends money to his parents back home. Now, he’s leaning on his friends and cousins as he recovers.
"He's somebody that works really hard, and it's really sad to see what happened to him," said Tovi. "Nobody deserves that, especially Dilaver because he works so hard."
Williams remains in the Denton County jail, facing charges of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and evading arrest.
Williams also had an outstanding warrant for allegedly encouraging a child to perform a sex act.