Two women were out drinking in Lawrenceville the night of July 1, 2017. The women realized they were too drunk to drive. Rather than risk the safety of everyone on the road, they instead decided to take a Lyft to a hotel room for the evening. Darrel E. Hardy Jr. was their driver and he drove them to a Hampton Inn. Hardy then escorted the women to their room.
Neither woman invited Hardy to enter the room. Both women then passed out fully clothed. According to the police report, the women said they believe Hardy fell asleep in a chair. One of the women woke up sometime later to find Hardy on top of her trying to kiss her. Her underwear was around her knees and her tampon had been removed. She screamed at Hardy to get off her, and after he left, the woman called 911.
From Assault to Homicide
In July of 2018, Hardy was charged with homicide. Zack Moore was found shot to death on the side of East Pittsburgh on North Versailles on July 8. Police suspect Hardy shot Moore while they were in a car together. In an attempt to hide evidence, Hardy set the car on fire.
Police interviewed Hardy in September in connection to the alleged assault. He claimed to have no memory of the incident. Hardy’s DNA was collected and analyzed by the authorities. It matched DNA that was collected from the victim of the assault. According to court records, Hardy was charged on Tuesday June 11, 2019 with rape, sexual assault, indecent assault and aggravated indecent assault in connection with the incident at the Hampton Inn.
Get the help you deserve
This is just another example of a dangerous criminal granted access to helpless riders trying to do the right thing. These riders are then subjected to life-altering assaults. If you believe that you or a loved one is a survivor of sexual assault by an Uber or Lyft driver contact us immediately to explore your legal options and get help today.