A Cherry Hill man says he was assaulted by an Uber driver when he asked for a ride home.
PHILADELPHIA -- A city man has been arrested in connection with an assault of an Uber passenger last month, according to the victim's attorney.
Joseph Fusco was severely beaten Dec. 22 when he tried to catch a ride from Philly to his home in Cherry Hill.
He says he used the ride-sharing app and was picked up by an Uber driver who, upon learning where he wanted to go, refused to take him to New Jersey. After asking a second time for the driver to take him to Cherry Hill, Fusco says the driver pulled him from the car and beat him.
Philadelphia police arrested Major Craig Fuller, 56, on Wednesday and charged him with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person in relation to an incident on Dec. 22, according to court records. His bail was set at $10,000.
Uber rider charged more than $28K
Fusco's attorney, Matthew Luber, confirmed that Fuller was arrested in connection with the assault investigation.
Fusco, 31, is suing Uber, accusing the company of negligence, fraud and misleading statements about the safety of its service.
The assailant broke multiple bones in Fusco's face and knocked out teeth, according to the lawsuit.
"While we are pleased the individual has been apprehended and we applaud the University of Pennsylvania Police Department for their persistence in bringing a dangerous individual to justice, what happened to Mr. Fusco was entirely avoidable," Luber said in a statement. "Such heinous violence by Uber's drivers is all too common and is in stark contrast to Uber's safety propaganda."
The driver in this alleged incident apparently did not know Fusco's destination until he got in the car.
According to Uber, passengers enter trip information, including destination, into the app, but the driver doesn't actually receive the destination information until the trip begins.
Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.