Lyft driver kidnapped, chased through woods and shot by passenger: ‘I thought this is how I die’

The horrifying ordeal unfolded on Tuesday afternoon in Jackson, Mississippi, when Brandy Littrell picked up a passenger and drove him to an apartment complex

Brandy Littrell said she thought she was going to die as she was shot six to seven times (Facebook)

A Lyft driver was kidnapped, chased through woods and shot multiple times by a passenger who, moments earlier, had been chatting to her about his job at McDonald’s, according to authorities.

The horrifying ordeal unfolded on Tuesday afternoon in Jackson, Mississippi, when Brandy Littrell picked up a passenger from Spring Lake Apartments in Byram and drove him to another apartment complex in Jackson.

Ms Littrell told how the man forced her out of the car before driving her to a wooded area where he made her crawl as he shot her six to seven times.

“I thought this is how I die,” she told the Washington Post from her hospital bed.

Police arrested 17-year-old Dontarius McGee and charged him with carjacking, kidnapping, aggravated assault and armed robbery (Jackson Police Department)

Miraculously, Ms Littrell survived the attack and said she waited for her assailant to leave before managing to reach a nearby apartment to get help.

Police arrested 17-year-old Dontarius McGee later that day and he allegedly confessed to the crime.

He was charged with carjacking, kidnapping, aggravated assault and armed robbery.

Ms Littrell told the Washington Post it just seemed like any other job she had done for the ride-hailing app when she said she picked up the suspect in her Dodge Journey.

The 36-year-old said the teen was making small talk with her about his job at McDonald’s and appeared to be “like a regular person going to work.”

She said he had requested two stops on the ride - the first at an apartment block and the second at McDonald’s.

But, when they pulled up at the first stop, the passenger pulled out a gun and ordered her into the backseat of the car, she said.

Ms Littrell said she remembered telling herself to do whatever he said in order to survive.

“Don’t die. Whatever he wants, just give it to him,” she said she told herself.

Ms Littrell said she handed over her phone and credit cards but the suspect then drove her to the wooded area, told her to get out, face the woods and get on her knees.

At this moment, she said she thought he was just trying to get away.

But then, she said she “heard the first shot”.

Brandy Littrell said she thought she was going to die as she was shot six to seven times (Facebook)

Police said Ms Littrell was shot up to seven times before the suspect drove away in her car, leaving her to die on the ground.

“I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Okay, this is how I’m going to die,’” she said.

“I laid there for a couple of minutes, and then I realized I wasn’t dead yet.”

The 36-year-old said it was her fears that the suspect had her personal information - through her car, phone and cards - and could target her family that gave her the strength to find help.

She reached a nearby home where someone called the emergency services and she was rushed to hospital.

Ms Littrell, who has worked as a Lyft and Uber driver for five years, said she was thankful for the “grace of God” that she survived the attack.

A spokesperson for Lyft told the Washington Post it had reached out to Ms Littrell following the incident and that the suspect was permanently banned from its platform.

The company said it is working on developing new safety features and alerts “to help prevent these kinds of incidents moving forward”.