Personal driver shot after crashing during robbery in Hollywood Hills

A personal driver was shot early Thursday after he crashed during a robbery attempt in the Hollywood Hills, police said.

The robbery occurred about 2:30 a.m. when the driver dropped off a female passenger in the 3200 block of Velma Drive, said Officer Liliana Preciado, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. Reports indicated that the driver was with Uber, but Preciado said he did not work for the ride-sharing company, police said.

The woman was then approached by a gunman who demanded money. When the gunman realized she didn’t have cash, he forced her to call the driver and ask him to return to the neighborhood, Preciado said.

The driver returned to find the gunman and woman, she said.

Once the driver realized he was being robbed, he backed up his car. In doing so, his car crashed, overturned and landed on its roof, Preciado said.

The gunman then approached the driver and shot him, she said. The gunman fled before police arrived to the area.

The driver, who was not identified, was taken to an area hospital, where he was undergoing surgery Thursday morning. His condition was not immediately known, Preciado said.

The woman was not injured during the robbery, she said.

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