Police: ‘Highly intoxicated’ St. Charles man attacks Uber driver

A “highly intoxicated” west suburban man has been charged with assaulting an Uber driver who tried waking him up in the back of his vehicle Sunday night in St. Charles.

Tyler Royer, 26, was charged with one count each of aggravated assault and reckless conduct, and two counts of battery, all misdemeanors, according to St. Charles police.

The 54-year-old Uber driver picked Royer up in Campton Hills to drive him to St. Charles, police said. Royer was highly intoxicated and fell asleep in the backseat before giving the driver the address where he was going.

When the driver tried to wake him up, Royer “became enraged” and attacked the driver, police said.

Royer grabbed the driver by the face, pulled on his head and nearly caused him to veer off the road, police said. He also punched and kicked the inside of the vehicle.

The driver pulled into a store parking lot at Randall and Main, and tried to get Royer out of his vehicle, police said. But Royer pulled out a four-inch knife and tried stabbing the driver, who ran into a store and told the clerk to call 911.

When officers arrived at 10:37 p.m., Royer ran westbound and threw the knife into a retention pond, but was taken into custody, police said.

The driver did not suffer any serious injuries, and the car sustained only minor scuffing, police said.

Royer, of the 1600 block of Avalon Court in St. Charles, was scheduled to appear in bond court Monday.