The family of a young Florida girl who took an Uber to a location where she committed suicide is pointing the finger at the company for the tragedy.
Benita “BB” Diamond, 12, took her own life on Jan. 10 when she reportedly downloaded the Uber app on her mother’s phone in the middle of the night, requesting a ride to downtown Orlando. She then reportedly walked to a nine story parking garage, which she jumped off of to her death, her parents said, KCCI reported.
She left behind a note saying she was “past the point of no return,” according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The family of a 12-year-old Florida girl who jumped to her death after ordering an Uber in the middle of the night said the ride-sharing company could have helped prevent the tragedy. https://t.co/jqn3ErVr60 pic.twitter.com/2jEOmV5Qxs
— Inside Edition (@InsideEdition) June 7, 2019
Diamond’s family held a press conference Thursday, where they said that Uber is to blame for the tragedy since the driver that took their daughter did not follow a company policy instructing not pick up unaccompanied minors. (RELATED: Former Miss Uruguay Found Hanged To Death In Mexico City Hotel)
“If Uber had followed their policy, without a doubt, our daughter would still be here,” her father Ronald Diamond stated.
“That would have been the one red flag we would have caught. There is no way she’s getting away with that in our household. We were too much active parents,” he continued.
Uber’s website outlines the policy that reads, “A rider must be at least 18 years of age to have an Uber account and request rides. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by someone 18 years of age or older on any ride.”
“That day if the Uber driver had done his job right we would have seen the red flag, because I always knew where my daughter was,” Lisha Chen, the girl’s mother, said at the press conference.
The parents say they aren’t interested in money but want to make sure Uber’s policy on driving minors is enforced so that other parents won’t experience similar tragedies, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The family reportedly wrote a letter to Uber outlining their demands for stricter policy enforcement.
“This will happen to another child or teenager if I don’t do anything right now, if I don’t make sure Uber, or Lyft or any share-ride company enforces their policy,” Chen said.
“They have a policy in place, but if they don’t enforce it, it’s useless,” she continued.
An Uber spokesperson said that Benita Diamond’s suicide was not reported to the company, but that Uber is now investigating the case and is ready to “take appropriate action,” according to KCCI.
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