The Ride-share Industry
Once Again Fiction Becomes Reality
By Ben Kesslen
A
71-year-old Arizona man was shot to death while driving for Lyft, just
minutes after he spoke to his wife on the phone to wish her a happy 52nd
wedding anniversary.
Harold Treadwell was fatally
shot in the early hours of Sunday while in his car, Phoenix police and
his wife, Frances Treadwell, told NBC News.
Authorities
said in a statement that Treadwell was the only person in the car at
the time and they believe the bullet was fired from outside the vehicle.
Frances
Treadwell said the shooting occurred on their wedding anniversary. "I
feel like I am living a horrible nightmare," she said. "I wish I could
wake up and he would still be sitting here."
Frances
and Harold Treadwell had been married for 52 years and been together
since she graduated high school. "He was my best friend," she said.
Together, the couple had two children, three grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
Treadwell was a retired financial
planner who drove Lyft part-time to bring in extra income. Frances
Treadwell said he left the house Saturday between 5-6 p.m. to drive
Lyft, stopped back at home around 8 p.m. for dinner, and went out again
to drive more.
Phone
records show the couple spoke at 12:28 a.m. Sunday, and police say
Treadwell was murdered just after 12:30 a.m. Frances Treadwell said her
husband told her on the phone he was headed home but she said it wasn't
unusual for him to work through the night.
At 4:30
a.m. Sunday, police knocked on the door of the Treadwells' Phoenix home,
telling Frances Treadwell her husband was involved in a homicide.
She
told NBC News she's grief-stricken, devastated and worried about her
financial future. They didn't have life insurance for him and she says
she will lose his benefits.
A friend created a
GoFundMe for the family and Frances Treadwell says the money will go
toward funeral expenses. "I had no money for cremation," she said,
thanking the people who have already donated just shy of $5,000. "I
didn't know what GoFundMe was," she added.
Police are investigating the killing and say they currently don’t have any suspects.
In a statement, Lyft said it is assisting law enforcement with the investigation.
“We
are deeply saddened and shocked by this loss," the ride-share company
said. "Our sympathies go out to the loved ones of Harold Treadwell and
all those impacted by this tragedy.”
Frances Treadwell
pleaded for anyone with information to come forward and contact the
Phoenix police. "He had no enemies," she said of her husband. "I need
help finding who did this. I want justice."
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