Bali Rideshare Driver Faces Prison After Heroic Tourist Rescue
A rideshare driver in Bali who played a crucial role in rescuing an Australian tourist from a potentially dangerous situation now confronts the prospect of prison time. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support him, highlighting a dramatic story of courage and desperation.
The Suspicious Ride That Sparked a Chase
Declan Askew and his wife Julia were holidaying on the Indonesian island earlier this month when they booked a Grab vehicle, Bali's equivalent of Uber. After dining at a restaurant, they arranged for Julia to return to their villa while Declan stayed behind for an appointment.
Upon spotting what they believed was their booked car outside, the driver informed the couple from New South Wales' Northern Rivers that the app had cancelled their booking. He offered to take them for cash instead.
"Something in my gut felt slightly off," Mr Askew recalled. "I started asking him questions – where he had driven from, which road he came down, details about the booking. He answered everything correctly."
Mr Askew rationalised that the cancellation might have occurred due to his phone disconnecting from the restaurant Wi-Fi as they walked outside. He also felt some reassurance, believing the driver was a legitimate Grab operator on the platform.
Reluctantly, he agreed to let his wife take the ride but went to note the number plate as the car departed. "That's when my heart started beating a little faster. There was no number plate on the car," he said.
The Real Driver Arrives and a Pursuit Ensues
Situations escalated moments later when Ardi, the authentic Grab driver who had actually been booked, arrived several minutes after Julia had left. "That slight bad feeling in my stomach got a lot worse," Mr Askew said.
The driver's expression shifted dramatically; he appeared as if he had seen a ghost, immediately sensing something was very wrong.
Despite having just met Mr Askew, Ardi, acting as a Good Samaritan, jumped on a scooter with him without hesitation to track down the car carrying his wife. "As we sped off, I remember yelling in a mixture of panic and anger, urging Ardi to keep up the pace, praying, asking God to keep Julia safe," Mr Askew recounted.
"Ardi, the legend, genuinely rode like it was his own family in danger. Focused, fearless, urgent."
After ten minutes of weaving through heavy traffic, they spotted the black vehicle stopped at a red light. Mr Askew leaped off the scooter before it fully stopped and ran toward the car. Ardi yelled behind him in broken English: "No aggressive, calm, calm."
Mr Askew opened the front passenger door to prevent the driver from departing without him. Julia was in the back, confused but safe. He instructed her to exit immediately, which she did, and he embraced her in overwhelming relief.
The Driver's Desperate Circumstances and Legal Peril
The couple believe the outcome could have been very different without Ardi's swift actions. Several nights later, when the Askews took Ardi out to dinner to express their gratitude, they learned about the precarious situation he and his family were facing.
Ardi now faces possible jail time after pawning his car, which was still under finance, to pay for emergency brain surgery for his foster daughter. She had sustained severe head injuries in a hit-and-run scooter accident.
After falling behind on loan repayments, he has been renting vehicles to continue working while earning minimal income. According to Mr Askew, once the bank discovered the vehicle had been pawned, police became involved.
"He has now been given an unclear amount of time, somewhere between one and two weeks, to recover the vehicle and resolve the situation, or he faces likely imprisonment," Mr Askew wrote on a fundraiser created to assist Ardi. "He acted in desperation to save a child's life."
Fundraiser Success and Tourist Warnings
The fundraiser has already exceeded its $5,000 target, aiming to help Ardi redeem his pawned vehicle, catch up on loan arrears, and avoid incarceration. The Askews also hope their frightening experience serves as a cautionary tale for other tourists travelling to Bali.
Rideshare services have become a popular alternative to taxis on the island in recent years, but travellers are urged to remain vigilant. Tourists should be cautious of:
- Drivers requesting higher cash fares than those quoted in the app
- Fake drivers wearing counterfeit uniforms
- Drivers who refuse to cancel trips to charge fees
Passengers are advised to always verify the licence plate, driver name, and photo in the rideshare app before entering any vehicle. This incident underscores the importance of safety measures while using such services abroad.
