Video captures woman lunging from backseat, pepper spraying Uber driver in NYC

NEW YORK -- An Uber driver in New York was pepper sprayed by a passenger for no apparent reason.

The incident happened Friday on NYC's Upper East Side.

Video provided by the driver shows a woman lunging forward from the backseat, reaching around, and spraying the unsuspecting man in the face. The driver, Shohel Mahmud, scrambles to get out of the car, as the woman keeps grabbing his arm and spraying him.

Police have since arrested 23-year-old Jen Guilbeault and charged her with assault.

There was a second woman in the backseat who appeared horrified by the attack, but she's not currently facing any charges.

Mahmud has since spoken out about the incident, saying Guilbeault started spraying him for no reason.

"Yes, the burning lasted two hours," he said. Seconds after being sprayed, Mahmud tried to get out of the car but still had his seatbelt on.

"I'm kind of hanging out of the car, so I take my buckle off, close my eyes, and get out and then I realized my car was still running," he said. "I jumped in and put in park and got out."

Mahmud insists he hadn't said a word to the women.

"The rider's actions shown in the video are deplorable," said an Uber spokesperson. "Violence is not tolerated, and the rider has been banned from the Uber platform. We will support police in their investigation however we can."

Guilbeault's roommate told WABC-TV in New York she had no idea about the incident, but has been in touch with her since.

Mahmud acknowledged the ordeal has hurt him financially as he is the breadwinner of his family who currently lives in Bangladesh.

Guilbeault's lawyer could not be reached for comment.