DENVER (CBS4) – A former rideshare driver is being heralded as a hero after he stepped up to help a passenger who was in danger. It all happened in 2019 and on Tuesday, Denver Police and the Daniels Fund honored him with an award.
More than two and a half years later, Ariel Bogue and Grant Gannon are making up for lost time. For both men, Tuesday marked the first time they’d been together since the frantic night they met.
“This is the person that saved my life,” Gannon said.
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In 2019, Bogue was working as a Lyft driver and picked up Gannon in downtown Denver. Once they arrived outside his apartment complex near 31st and Brighton Boulevard in RiNo, Gannon was attacked by a man he said he’d never seen before.
“A car pulled up and a guy got out of the car and just punched him in the face,” Bogue said.
According to Bogue, Gannon was immediately knocked unconscious, and the suspect walked away into the parking garage of the complex. Though there were people nearby, no one stopped to help.
“I started asking other people for help, but no one wanted to help. Everyone was just ignoring me, so I decided to just call 911, an ambulance came, and took him away,” Bogue said.
Two days later, Grant woke up in an ICU bed with a traumatic brain injury and a brain bleed, which required doctors to remove a portion of his skull in order to alleviate the pressure. He has since made a full recovery and said doctors praised Bogue’s actions.
“They told me over and over again that if I didn’t come into the hospital at that moment, if the ambulance wasn’t called at that moment, that I wouldn’t be here today,” Gannon said.
Police said without Bogue they also wouldn’t have the suspect. The detective responsible for the case said Bogue provided a statement with suspect information, and later identified the suspect, who was later charged with second and third-degree assault and entered a guilty plea.
On Tuesday, the department and the Daniels Fund honored him for that heroism and help by presenting him with the Bill Daniels Neighborhood Hero Award, which recognizes community members y who go “above and beyond” to help others.
“It’s a reminder for all of us to step up when called upon and do what’s right,” said Chief Paul Pazen.
Bogue no longer works as a rideshare driver and has since moved from Denver to a town in the mountains. Along with the award, he was also presented with a $1,000 check, which he said he will use to invest in his rap career.
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“I was just doing what was right, I didn’t expect anything in return for it,” Bogue said.
“If he wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be alive today,” said Gannon.
“My life was in his hand and I’m grateful for everything that he did do,” he added,