Two American college students remain in a Danish prison two weeks after a heated dispute with an Uber driver over an incorrect address during a spring break trip. The incident, which unfolded in Copenhagen, has left one student, Owen Ray, 20, detained without charges, according to family and legal sources, via the New York Post.
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On March 31, Ray, a University of Miami in Ohio student, and his unnamed friend, both from the Chicago area, entered the wrong destination in their Uber app, sparking a confrontation with their driver. Ray's mother, Sara Buchen-Ray, told CBS News the students requested to exit the vehicle and order a new ride upon realizing the error. Five minutes later, the driver returned, yelling at the pair as they walked, she said.
The situation escalated when the driver accused the students of not paying, despite receipts proving otherwise, Buchen-Ray said. The family's attorney, Jordan Finfer, told ABC7 Chicago the driver kicked Ray in the groin. Ray pushed the driver in response, causing him to fall. The students then fled the scene.
Uber Fight Results in Airport Arrest
The following day, April 1, Danish police arrested the students at Copenhagen's airport as they prepared to board flights home. Finfer said authorities detained Ray as a "flight risk," though no charges have been filed. The status of Ray's friend remains unclear.
Buchen-Ray received a text from an unknown number at 6 a.m. that day, informing her that her son was in a Copenhagen prison. "I was four hours away from picking him up at O'Hare," she told CBS News. Ray remains in custody, confined for 23 hours a day, with weekly calls to his mother. She fears the long-term impact of his detention. "You can't come out of this without scars," Buchen-Ray said.
The students have missed two weeks of classes. Buchen-Ray plans to travel to Copenhagen to support her son, who faces detention until at least the end of April, Finfer said.
The case awaits trial, expected this month, though a five-day Easter court holiday may delay proceedings, according to ABC News. Finfer emphasized that Ray has not been charged but remains held due to flight risk concerns.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin's office confirmed ongoing communication with the family and the U.S. Embassy in Denmark. "We are closely monitoring the situation," the statement read.
