Lenny Dykstra claims Uber driver kidnapped him: 'I was in fear for my life'
There’s always more to the story when Lenny Dykstra is involved. The former MLB star was arrested in May for threatening to kill an Uber driver during a bizarre pre-dawn ride, but he’s now speaking out about the arrest, and his side of the story puts the blame on the driver. Dykstra is claiming that the driver kidnapped him, and that he’s actually the victim.
Dykstra claims the driver kidnapped him
During a press conference Dykstra and his attorneys held on a Manhattan street on Friday, Dykstra told his story of the interaction with an Uber driver that led to his arrest. According to the New York Daily News, everything was fine until Dykstra asked the driver to take a different route to Staten Island. That’s when the driver locked the doors and began driving erratically.
“I was in fear for my life. And I called 911, and I was screaming that this man is crazy — he had kidnapped me. I literally thought this guy was going to kill me, OK?”
In the countersuit Dykstra filed against the driver, he says he tried to call 911 several times from the backseat of the car. When the driver heard Dykstra trying to get in touch with authorities, he began to speed and run red lights, and drove to the police station in a panic. During the press conference, one of the attorneys produced Dykstra’s phone records, which show a missed call from a 911 operator. The attorney claimed that the operator was calling Dykstra back after their call had been cut off.
USA Today had a stunning quote from Dykstra during the press conference, and it might be the most Dykstra thing that has ever been said.
“You’re talking to a guy who has literally planted a flag on Mount Kilimanjaro and stepped in the depths of Death Valley. Did I ever imagine I’d be kidnapped by an Uber driver?”
The driver’s account is very different
Dykstra was originally arrested for threatening the driver. In the early morning hours of May 23, the driver drove up to the police station in Linden, New Jersey with Dykstra in the backseat of the car, and claimed that Dykstra threatened to kill him. According to the police report, Dykstra asked to change destinations, but the driver told him that he’d have to change it through the Uber app. That’s when Dykstra held a pill bottle to the back of the driver’s head, which the driver thought was a gun, and said “take me to Staten Island or I’ll blow your (expletive) head off.”
The driver instead drove to the police station and told the police about the incident, which is when Dykstra was arrested. The police searched Dykstra’s bag and didn’t find a gun, but they did find drugs. Dykstra was charged with making terroristic threats and possession of cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana.
What happens now?
It’s unclear how the case will progress from here. At this point, it doesn’t seem like the prosecutors even know what’s going on. The driver has been charged with one count of false imprisonment, but the charges against Dykstra haven’t been dropped. This is all starting to sound like a very convoluted episode of “Law & Order.” Where’s Lenny Briscoe when you need him?
– – – – – –
Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @lizroscher
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Poll: Majority of voters don’t deem kneeling unpatriotic
• World Cup ref resigns after being caught accepting bribe
• Trump doesn’t plan to invite NBA champs to White House
• Minor leaguer retires immediately after he gave up 14 runs
