12-year-old girl takes Uber ride in the middle of the night to the place where she leaps to her death: Report

A 12-year-old girl in Florida ordered an Uber to drive her to the place where she would take her own life, her family claims.

KKCI reports that Benita “BB” Diamond died in early January after she took an Uber to a parking garage in downtown Orlando where she died after jumping from the roof. Now, her parents are reportedly considering a lawsuit against the ride-share company for transporting a minor alone.

According to ClickOrlando.com, Diamond’s family said she left behind a note before she took her own life; and in it, she mentioned how easy it was for her to get an Uber on her own — in the middle of the night.

“I was surprised at how easily I got into the Uber,” the girl reportedly said in the letter. “I guess I was expecting more of a hassle.”

Uber’s underage rider policy is outlined on the company’s website:

“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 … As a driver-partner, you should decline the ride request if you believe the person requesting the ride is under 18. When picking up riders, if you feel they are underage, you may request they provide a driver’s license or ID card for confirmation. If a rider is underage, please do not start the trip or allow them to ride.”

According to the report, Benita downloaded the Uber app from her mother’s phone and paid for it with a gift card she had received as a Christmas gift. The parents reportedly said that the girl was not allowed to use Uber, and said they want to make sure the company enforces its unaccompanied minor policy.

“If Uber had followed their policy, without a doubt, our daughter would still be here,” the family said, according to WESH Orlando.

“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.”

According to WESH, the company said it will investigating the incident, which it said had not been reported to Uber prior to being asked for comment by the media.

 

[Feature image: Benita Diamond/Fox 35 Orlando Video Screenshot]