Philadelphia Uber Driver Saves Passenger’s Life During Ride After Sudden Brain Hemorrhage

Justin Anderson

A Philadelphia man who had recently started driving for Uber is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of a passenger who suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage during a ride.

Taras Zvir, 38, of Northern Liberties, was behind the wheel on the morning of February 25 when he picked up 41-year-old Justin Anderson for a ride from Philadelphia to Bucks County. The two men talked casually about music and rideshare work during the 45-minute journey until the mood abruptly shifted.

As they neared their destination, Zvir noticed something was wrong. Anderson’s head began to tilt, and he appeared to be suffocating. Although still responsive at first, his condition deteriorated rapidly.

“His head was kind of bobbing up and down but he was still communicating,” Zvir recalled. “I asked, ‘Justin, you okay? Do you need anything?’ I rolled the windows down and blasted the A/C, but he was just getting worse. Eventually, he became unresponsive.”

Zvir immediately pulled over and called 911. The dispatcher advised him to begin CPR — a skill Zvir knew from his past experience as an ambulance driver. He quickly exited the vehicle, opened the door, laid Anderson flat on the ground, protected his head, and began chest compressions.

“I was doing it for maybe six to eight minutes,” Zvir said, until he heard sirens approaching.

Taras Zvir

Emergency medical personnel arrived and took over, administering Narcan as a precautionary measure before transporting Anderson to the hospital.

Doctors determined that Anderson had suffered a spontaneous brain hemorrhage caused by a subdural hematoma, the result of an arteriovenous (AV) fistula — an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein — that he likely had since birth but was unaware of. The hemorrhage caused a midline brain shift and tissue damage. He underwent an emergency craniotomy to relieve pressure on his brain.

Anderson’s mother, Deborah, wrote in a GoFundMe campaign that her son had just started a new job and is a father to a 17-year-old daughter. She expressed deep gratitude that her son had not been alone when the medical emergency occurred.

“Had he been home alone, he would not be here today,” she wrote. “Had he not been in the back of that Uber, he would not be here today. I am thankful for the Uber driver's quick response to call 911.”

Deborah shared updates on her son’s condition, noting that he remained unconscious for weeks but showed slight signs of responsiveness. On March 29, she reported that Justin was able to blink twice in response to questions — a hopeful sign of progress.

Zvir, who began driving for Uber as a side job while starting his own company, has kept in touch with Anderson’s family and hopes to meet him when he recovers.

“I definitely want to meet him,” Zvir said. “I just want to make sure that he recovers. I texted his mother just yesterday for an update. I’m keeping in touch.”

Despite his life-saving efforts, Zvir insists he’s not a hero.

“I saw somebody needed help and I just helped. That’s it,” he said.