A Pacific Beach woman says she is holding a rental electric scooter hostage until the person who crashed it into her BMW is found.
Seda Onek said she parked her car along Mission Boulevard and Chalcedony Street Memorial Day weekend when a man on a Bird scooter crashed into her car and then took off, leaving $1,600 in damage.
Her BMW is now fixed, but she says it's been a frustrating road to get here.
Onek captured cellphone video of the suspect running away and reported the hit-and-run to the police.
She also contacted Bird through the app and says she hasn't gotten a call back, so she plans to keep the scooter that crashed into her car until the suspect is caught.
"The fact that they're not even taking this seriously is a big deal because they, I believe, created this chaotic environment," she says. "I think there are steps that could be taken to keep people safe, and also just get back to us if it does happen. Take ownership and hold the people responsible for their actions."
She also has a guess at why the suspect didn’t stop.
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"I'm just frustrated," she tells NBC 7. "I thought immediately that ‘OK, he's clearly under the influence of something. He's been drinking; It's Memorial Day weekend,’ and I thought ‘OK, that's why he's not stopping, they're obviously giving DUI's for these."
Police say they’ve reached out to Bird who refuses to release the suspect’s information without a warrant. Police say it may be difficult to get a warrant for such a minor crime.
Onek has this to say to the person who hit her car:
“Be accountable for your actions. Take ownership in what you did and hopefully make smarter choices, be smarter. Ride the Birds if you want to, but make sure you're not intoxicated. Make sure you're not hurting anyone in the process.”
Bird's website reads in part: "Safety is our top priority here at Bird ... That's why we're offering free helmets to all of our riders and making sure all of our riders know the rules of the road.”
A company spokesperson sent the following statement to NBC 7: "We are not in a position to comment on specific incidents. We encourage people to reach us via hello@bird.co."
Onek says something like this could happen to anyone and next time someone could get hurt.
"This is a bigger issue than just a $1,600 damage on my car," she adds. "This is a safety violation."
If the suspect is caught they will be charged with a misdemeanor.
