Lyft driver wounded in shooting released from hospital

Passengers who tried to carjack victim still at large

MIAMI – A Lyft driver who was shot multiple times in the back earlier this month in northwest Miami-Dade was released from the hospital Tuesday.

“I’m blessed that I’m alive, and I don’t want those people to hurt anyone like they did to me,” Eduard Pazdnik said as he walked out of Jackson Memorial Hosptial with his family. 

Pazdnik was working for the ride-sharing company Lyft when he was wounded just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday in the 7700 block of Northwest 10th Avenue.

Before the shooting, Pazdnik said, he picked up two passengers who then directed him to an area that wasn't the destination they had selected in the app.

Pazdnik said two other people were waiting at the drop-off location, where they tried to shock Pazdnik with a Taser and steal his vehicle.

“I was really terrified at that moment,” Pazdnik said.

He fought off his attackers, but was shot four times in the back as he ran away.

Pazdnik called 911 with his cellphone and has since undergone multiple surgeries at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Kate Margolis, a spokeswoman for Lyft, said the company was cooperating with authorities and had frozen the account of the passenger that initially requested the ride from Pazdnik.

The Miami-Dade County Police Department has made no arrests in the case.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.