NEW ORLEANS — When you call an Uber, that’s not someone’s company car, that’s their personal car. That driver is taking a leap of faith and trusting that passenger. That’s exactly what Yolanda Dillion did and it cost her her life.
Days after the senseless murder of Dillion, rideshare drivers are coming to terms with what happened to a fellow driver.
Dillion, an NOPD employee and Uber driver, was stabbed to death in the parking lot of a Harvey motel Thursday.
“His confession basically stated he woke up yesterday morning and decided he was going to kill someone, he decided that was going to be the day," Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said during a press conference.
Nicole Bannister has been an Uber driver for more than five years. She said she is now considering stopping driving after hearing about Dillion's death.
"I had to continue to drive because I need the money this is my job, but I was so scared I just kept having visions of someone attacking from the back, I was so scared," Bannister said. "I think my anxiety kicked in, especially when I started driving again, I was kinda peaking at the passengers. It was just frightening.”
Her car was once her safe space. She no longer wants to be behind the wheel.
"I was really scared, like I didn’t want to drive anymore," Bannister said.
Chevita Thomas, another veteran driver, says she relies on her intuition and God to keep her safe.
“It could’ve been me, it could’ve been any of us,” Thomas said. “My spirit telling me something is not right, it doesn’t really get that far where somebody is in my car to make me uncomfortable.”
Both women say they don’t drive at night.