MILWAUKEE – A routine Lyft pickup turned violent for a Milwaukee driver early Saturday morning, March 28.

What they’re saying:

Candice Kozinski says she finished her day job Friday night, took a nap, and then went out to drive Lyft to earn extra money. Hours later, she says she picked up a group of riders near 41st and Hampton.

Kozinski says the situation quickly escalated.

“All the sudden he was like get out, and I was like, okay, huge red flag,” she said.

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Kozinski says one of the riders then pulled out a gun.

“The other guy had a gun in my ribs here and said, ‘Get out the f—ing car, I am going to shoot you’ – they are all screaming,” Kozinski said.

She says the group dragged her out of her vehicle and drove away.

“Tried to flag people down after they sped off and no one stopped,” Kozinski said.

She says she eventually found help and contacted police.

Dig deeper:

Investigators say the suspects were later spotted driving the vehicle near National Avenue in Walker’s Point. Police say the suspects led officers on a chase reaching speeds of 90 to 100 miles per hour before officers lost sight of the vehicle.

Police later found the vehicle abandoned near 40th and Hadley.

“There’s a chip on the windshield,” Kozinski said. “Breaks shot because of the high-speed chase.”

Kozinski says she suffered bruises and is also dealing with emotional trauma.

“Obviously, mental trauma, traumatizing for anybody,” Kozinski said. “Just like everyone else, I was trying to make ends meet. Yeah, I don’t like having to do gig jobs like this, but it was temporary until I found something else.”

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What you can do:

Kozinski has created a GoFundMe to help cover repair costs for her vehicle.

What they’re saying:

The Milwaukee Police Department says no arrests have been made.

Lyft provided the following statement:

“We are deeply troubled by this incident, which has no place in the Lyft community or in our society. We’re working with law enforcement and have permanently banned the rider account involved, and have reached out to the driver to offer support.”

By the numbers:

MPD’s crime data shows carjackings are down about 40 percent so far this year and have dropped nearly 50 percent over the past two years, from 2024 to 2025.