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ORLANDO, Florida – In January, Benita "BB" Diamond, aged 12, downloaded the Uber app on her mother's phone while she was sleeping. Then she hailed a walk and went to a closed garage where she committed suicide.
She paid for the ride with a gift card that she had received for Christmas, her parents said at a press conference Thursday, said CBS affiliate WKMG.
Now, Benita's parents are asking Uber to act. Lisha Chen and Ronald Diamond said the carpool company should have done more to prevent their daughter from arriving in a secluded place in the middle of the night.
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"In her letter, she said … that she thought that she would have more hassle to get a ride in Uber," said Diamond, referring to Benita's suicide note. "The second thing she said is essentially that" I have now gone past the point of no return. "Uber took my daughter past the point of no return, they l? took me there. "
Benita died of a garage located behind the Orlando City Hall. The trip took place despite Uber 's age guidelines, which require drivers to check the credentials of riders they perceive as minors.
Uber policy prohibits drivers from providing unattended services to minors. According to the family's lawyer, Laura Douglas, the driver has never questioned the age of Benita.
"As a driving partner, you should refuse the trip request if you think the person requesting the trip is under 18," reads Uber's website. "When taking care of runners, if you think they are minors, you can ask them to provide a driver's license or an identity card for confirmation.If a runner is a minor, please do not not start the journey or let it roll. "
The family did not file a complaint. They hope that Uber will change its policies to be more effective and will not want financial compensation.
"They are very committed to what has happened and the number one goal is to work with the company or advocate against it as needed," Douglas said. "They have this generic policy against child transport, but when you compare that rule to other driver rules, it does not make sense, because the other rules have clearly defined penalties."
Benita's parents said their daughter was a bright and happy girl, who had good grades at school, was an accomplished pianist and excelled in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Months after his death, they still do not know why it happened.
A spokesman for Uber told CBS News Saturday that the death had not been reported to the company in the last six months. Uber is currently investigating the incident. When the company receives information about minors, drivers and account holders could lose access to the application, the spokesman said.
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