COLUMBIA, S.C. — The U.S. House has passed a new safety law in honor of a University of South Carolina college student who was kidnapped and murdered by a man impersonating an uber driver in 2019.
Samantha “Sami” Josephson, 21, was out with friends on a Friday night in Columbia when she was last seen getting into a Chevy Impala shortly after 2 a.m. She had been waiting for her rideshare.
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After she got in the car, friends were not able to reach Josephson. She was later found dead.
Friends alerted police that they believed Josephson mistook the wrong car for her Uber driver.
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Nathaniel Rowland was later arrested after officers found blood in his car during a traffic stop.
Investigators determined that Rowland had locked the child locks to prevent Josephson from escaping from the car.
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Over the summer, the governor of New Jersey, where Josephson was from, introduced “Sami’s Law,” legislation which would require ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft to use enhanced verification systems to help passengers identify their ride-share vehicle.
On Wednesday, the bill, which was introduced to Congress by Rep. Jim Clyburn, passed a House vote. It is now headed to the Senate.
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