HOUSTON — The hospital where 29 year-old Lyft driver Ezatullah Safi lies in a coma is located less than three miles from the spot where he nearly lost his life early last Friday morning.
It’s where a passenger he was taking home from the airport died.
“It’s really difficult for his loved ones and friends and everyone,” said brother Neamatullah Safi. “So we will keep praying for him.”
Neamatullah Safi flew in from San Francisco when he got news of the crash.
“All day I come here and stay with him,” Safi said.
Both brothers worked as interpreters for the U.S. military in their native Afghanistan.
Ezatullah Safi moved to the states two years ago and has a wife, two children, and one on the way.
“He was hoping for a better life here and was so happy when he made it here,” Safi said.
A trained economist in his home country, Safi started driving for Lyft to make ends meet.
His family never expected a routine ride would end so tragically.
According to court records, 21-year-old Erik DeLeon’s blood alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit when his truck struck Safi’s car along Galveston Road.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is investigating to determine whether DeLeon was over-served at any area bars.
Meanwhile, there’s a separate lawsuit filed on behalf of the Safi family.
“I’m hoping there’s something the government can do to stop this or find a solution for it,” Safi said.
Lyft provided KHOU 11 News with the following statement:
“We have reached out to the driver to extend our support and we are working to make contact with the family of the passenger. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation."
Suspect Erik DeLeon had a court date scheduled for Wednesday. It was reset because he is still being treated for injuries.
The Lyft passenger who died, Billy Satterfield, was buried this in his hometown in North Texas.
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