Though Bri Ledsome knew she was in for a long Lyft ride, her trip ended up being a whole lot longer — and more dangerous — than initially anticipated after her rideshare driver allegedly attempted to kidnap her.



Ledsome first realized something was amiss after she noticed the driver going the wrong way, heading towards Kentucky rather than Ohio, her destination’s location.


“After 10 minutes of KY driving, assuming the best of intentions, I expressed that he was going the wrong way, and that the other way was quicker,” she wrote in a Twitter thread on Thursday. Yet instead of changing course, the driver had a much different reaction — “He laughed at me.”


Upon realizing she was possibly in danger, she decided to reach out to others for help, informing her loved ones of her situation.


“At this moment, I confirmed that my location was shared with my people. I shared the ride too,” Ledsome continued. “I contacted 911 through ADT in the Lyft app, & called 911 myself. I pretended like I was confirming plans for a party, & gave the dispatcher the info I could.”


While it’s unclear whether or not the authorities responded to her call, the wayward ride was ultimately interrupted by the cops … who proved to be little help.


“Finally - a police officer pulled him over for speeding,” she added. “They got him out of the car, and spoke to me. They let me charge my phone in one of the cruisers while they tried to figure out what had happened.”


But even with visible weapons in the driver’s car, the cops opted to let the driver off the hook, waiting with Ledsome by the side of the road until he had left their jurisdiction.


“An officer drove me to a nearby field, and we waited for the Lyft driver to leave the county,” she continued. “I then waited for a friend, alone, for an hour at a local gas station.”


Despite ending her thread with a thank you to the personnel at ADT, the Lyft app and the officers who pulled over her driver, several commenters were left confused, questioning why she, as an alleged kidnapping victim, was treated with less regard than the alleged perpetrator.



“I'm baffled at how this guy was free to go,” commented @gpublicity on the viral thread. “And why were you left at a service station before your friend arrived (unless you insisted you were ok)?”


“What city were you left in?” asked @debbyjsing.  “Maybe their PD chief and mayor should be told.”


But hey, maybe we’re all wrong here — maybe “protect and serve” does include abandoning nearly-kidnapped women by the side of the road while their near captors ride free.