Was Vanessa Schwartz’s death along Interstate 495, Virginia Beltway caused by an Uber driver who allegedly kicked her and her husband out of the vehicle along the busy highway?
The family of a Virginia woman killed after a night out claim an Uber driver is to blame for the woman’s death after allegedly being kicked out onto a busy intersection during wet early morning hours, this despite Virginia State Police saying they have no evidence that the woman was dropped off on the interstate.
The family of Vanessa and Michael Schwartz say the couple was in an Uber with a friend heading home after the couple’s first night out since the birth of their daughter, Lucy, eight months ago.
After getting out of the Uber, during early Sunday, Vanessa Schwartz, 35, was hit and killed while walking on Interstate 495 in Fairfax County, NBC4 reported.
Dropped off at 1am but not fatally struck until 4am
‘This was a preventable situation,’ Chad Schwartz, the victim’s brother-in-law told the outlet. ‘That’s why this is why this is so devastating. It didn’t have to happen.’
‘We’re not exactly sure what happened, but they were kicked out of the Uber in the middle of the highway, and it was raining and dark,’ Chad Schwartz added.
It remained unclear if the new mom and her husband had been drinking following the ‘night out,’ and whether the potentially inebriated couple were asked to leave the Uber driver’s car for causing a ruckus.
Although she was fatally struck at 4am, receipts also showed that the Uber lift ended at 1am. The three-hour time gap is not explained.
The family showed News4 a screenshot of what they say shows the Uber trip start to finish – the end point appearing to be still on I-495 or very close to the interstate.
News4 stated being unable to verify the authenticity of the screen shot but did ask Uber to verify the drop-off location and if it met Uber’s expectations. The ride-share company did not answer either of those questions but said it talked with the driver and removed access to the driver’s app while the crash is investigated. The driver has not been charged.
Inconsistencies
In a statement, a spokesperson on behalf of Uber said, in part, ‘Our hearts break for Mrs. Schwartz’s family’ and the company is ‘continuing to look into this incident’ and ‘supporting law enforcement with their investigation.’
Of note, Michael Schwartz and the friend were not on the interstate when Virginia State Police responded to the crash.
In a new statement Wednesday, state police told News4, ‘At this time, there is no evidence to indicate she was dropped off or left along I-495. Instead, it appears she made her way to the interstate from a secondary roadway.’
Investigations into the young mother’s death are still ongoing, with witnesses reportedly telling police she had ‘stumbled’ into traffic, reports WUSA-9.
A preliminary investigation found the 2005 Honda Accord that struck Vanessa Schwartz was unable to avoid hitting her.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
While police investigate and a family grieves, their community is stepping up to help. An online fundraiser has brought in just under $40K to help with the funeral and to build a savings for the 8-month-old girl the new mother leaves behind.
