Photo: Albert Boakye
Originally published as an NBC News post –
“A Lyft driver was arrested Tuesday after authorities said he attacked country singer Clare Dunn over a driving dispute back in June.
Albert Boakye, 46, was charged with misdemeanor assault after he was accused of physically removing Dunn from his vehicle on Highway 70 South on June 26 following an argument over a missed turn, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Dunn, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday, told People magazine that after Boakye safely dropped her friend off, she requested the driver take a “slower route” to her house because she wanted to avoid going on the highway.
“According to Dunn, after Boakye missed the turn, he became very angry and stopped on the side of the road where he forcibly removed her from the vehicle and then grabbed her by the neck before throwing her to the ground,” police said.
In an interview with People, Dunn said: “Somehow in the scuffle, I thought I called 911, but I didn’t even get the number right. But it was a miracle. They called me back. And when I came to, I was screaming, and I saw headlights.”
The country musician sustained minor injuries, including bruises and lacerations to the head, police said. Boakye fled the scene after the incident.
Authorities issued a warrant for Boakye on Monday after Dunn provided a photo of him to detectives from her rideshare app. He was booked at Davidson County Jail on Tuesday morning, according to online records, and later released on a $1,000 bond.
Efforts to reach Boakye were unsuccessful Tuesday. It was unclear if he had a lawyer.
In a statement to NBC News, Lyft said: “Safety is fundamental to Lyft. The behavior described is appalling, and we permanently removed the driver from the Lyft platform as soon as we learned of this incident. We’ve been in touch with Ms. Dunn to offer our support and are assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”
Since the assault, Dunn said finding her attacker “has been hell.”
“I don’t want anyone else to go through it. Even if it just can keep one girl or one guy from going through this,” she said.
Dunn, who lives in Colorado, added she was still processing the mental trauma from the attack.
“I wake up a couple of times throughout the night thinking I heard something — like someone’s at my back door,” Dunn said. “Even just in the past year, before this whole deal happened, it felt like the world was just such a crazy, scary place in general. So being here on the farm is definitely a safe place for me right now.”
The country singer is best known for her songs, “Move On” and “Tuxedo.” Both reached the top 50 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.”
