The drunk passenger who brutally assaulted Uber driver Edward Caban on Oct. 30 has been identified as Benjamin Golden, a senior marketing manager at Taco Bell, according to CBS news.
“Given the behavior of the individual, it is clear he can no longer work for us. We have also offered and encouraged him to seek professional help.”
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Caban picked up Golden around 8 p.m. in Newport Beach, California, but did not receive an exact destination because Golden told Caban that he knew where he was going. After Golden started to drift in and out of consciousness in the back seat of the Uber, Caban turned his dash cam around to record the inside of the vehicle.
In a video that lasts over three minutes, Caban can be seen eventually pulling into a nearby shopping district and calmly telling Golden to get out of his car.
Golden, clearly intoxicated, refused to comply with Caban’s request and started assaulting the Uber driver instead.
After multiple strikes to the head, Golden began pulling Caban’s hair and slamming his head into the driver’s side window. Caban was eventually able to slip free from the clutches of the intoxicated passenger and, in a frantic attempt to defend himself, sprayed the passenger with mace.
Golden immediately got out of the car and tried to flee the scene but did not make it very far as the police arrested him soon afterward.
Golden posted bail that night, but he is now facing charges including assault on a cab driver and public intoxication.
Uber released a statement that said:
“We’ve been in contact with Mr. Caban and are thankful he is doing OK. … The rider involved in this incident has been permanently banned from the platform.”
