Amarillo Uber driver survives shooting, hailed for saving riders

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - In under a month, three different late night underage parties have taken place in Amarillo.

Now the Amarillo Police Department are looking at crimes which took place on these dates and whether they are connected.

Recently, an Uber driver dropping off passengers attending a party was shot in the head.

Daniel Palacios picked up three women heading to a party Thursday night. As he reached the location, he knew something was off.

“Hey you guys can’t get out. I can’t let you out, it’s not safe,” Palacios told the women.

He says he went into “dad mode” and instantly told the girls to get down.

“Two bullets ricocheted off the ground, and I felt the third,” he said. “I said ‘I have been shot. Get down!’”

The one thing he knew he had to do was stay calm. That’s when he drove himself and his passengers to the hospital.

“One of the things that kept playing in my mind was to stay calm,” said Palacios.

Amarillo police say that Violent Crimes, along with the Juvenile Investigative Squad, are on this case.

“We are very concerned,” said APD Sgt. Carla Burr. “Two people were injured the other night.”

Palacios was released from the hospital, but he says he is having trouble sleeping.

“I keep thinking, ‘Was there something else I could have done? Is there something else I could have [done to] either help more people out or just not be in that situation all together?’ It’s just a bunch of what ifs that pause me each night.”

At the end of the day, he says he did the right thing.

“I did the right thing, I know I did,” he said.

A spokesperson for Uber released this statement on the matter:

According to police, there have not been any arrests made in this case.

If you would like to donate to help with medical bills and car repairs for Daniel, click here.

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