Passenger chokes rideshare driver with belt in Popeye’s drive thru, Connecticut cops say

A rideshare passenger is accused of choking the driver with a belt while in a fast food drive thru, according to Connecticut police.

The driver picked up two men requesting a ride to Popeye’s, before 8 p.m. on Oct. 18, she told investigators, the Meriden Police Department said in a release.

While going through the drive thru, one of the men “became belligerent with the employees and her,” the release said.

The man wrapped a belt around the woman’s neck and began choking her, police said. He stopped when he spotted a police car nearby, at which point both men got out of the vehicle and ran away.

Scared, the driver drove to the Meriden Police Department and reported what happened, according to the release.

Investigators identified the men, police said.

The suspect had only been in Meriden for a short time where he worked as a long haul mover.

He was arrested and faces charges including attempted strangulation, unlawful restraint, threatening and breach of peace, police said. His bond was set at $50,000.

Meriden is about 22 miles southwest of Hartford.