MIAMI (WSVN) - A ride-hailing driver shot on the job multiple times is speaking out to describe the agonizing ordeal.
Thirty-three-year-old Eduard Pazdnik spent days at Jackson Memorial Hospital, and as he gathered his belongings to head home Tuesday, he told 7News how thankful he is to be alive.
“Thank God that I feel better,” he said. “I’m still in pain, but I feel better.”
The shooting happened on Jan. 13 as Pazdnik was driving for Lyft when one of two passengers pulled out a gun.
“At the end of the trip, they asked me to make a right, and that was the moment I saw the gun,” he said.
Pazdnik was tased, shot four times in the back and the thieves drove off with his SUV, which they later totaled.
He said he did everything he could to hold on to his cell phone so he could call for help after being left for dead.
“They wanted to take the phone, but God bless that they forgot about it,” said Pazdnik, who then used his phone to call for help.
He said he is thankful that the situation was not worse.
“I’m blessed that I am alive, and I don’t want these people to hurt anyone like they did to me,” Pazdnik said. “I just want other people to be protected from these people, that no one would suffer the way I suffered.”
The family still needs help. Pazdnik cannot work at the moment and is without health insurance, so if you would like to financially help, go to their GoFundMe page here.
Police are still looking for the subjects. If you have any information on this carjacking, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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