Knoxville sports radio host Cody McClure, who also works as an Uber driver, was the victim of a reported carjacking Sunday night.
According to Knoxville ABC affiliate WATE, McClure told local authorities the carjacking occurred while he was driving for Uber and picking up two passengers from a downtown restaurant. During the drive, one of the passengers grabbed McClure and demanded he stop the car.
“As I was getting out, I was trying to grab my phone to take it with me and he asked me where my phone was at,” McClure told WATE. “And then he pointed a gun right at me and said he was going to ‘bust me up.’ So I handed over the phone and decided to just get away from there.”
The carjacker then drove off with McClure’s 2009 Honda Civic. Although the incident was frightening, McClure says he thankfully, was not physically harmed. As of Tuesday night, the Knoxville Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit was still investigating the incident, with McClure noting he had not received an update.
McClure co-hosts a daily show on WKGN 105.7 in Knoxville from noon-3pm with Jon Reed. Despite being a full-time sports radio host for a locally owned Fox Sports affiliate, McClure’s primary job has been driving for Uber, which he says occupies about 70% of his working hours each week.
“I come in and do the radio show, but that’s only three hours a day. And, so, you know, most of the money I make I have to get through doing something else other than sports radio,” McClure said.
To help combat the reality of losing a car and the ability to work as an Uber driver in the immediate future, McClure’s co-host of five years launched a GoFundMe page where his colleagues, audience and the Knoxville community can help him out.
[WATE]
