Lyft driver goes above and beyond to keep his passenger safe: "I am your friend; we're here together"

PHOENIX, Arizona --  John Young loves working for the ride-sharing company Lyft. He's being praised for going above and beyond for a customer this holiday season.

"That's probably the best thing about the about the job. You get to meet so many different people," Young said.

The Lyft driver has heard all kinds of stories, but there was one a couple of weeks ago that caught his attention.

It came from Carol Williams, who works at a Michaels store in Phoenix.

The Phoenix grandmother had seen a car she wanted to buy on Craigslist, so she rounded up $4,800, called for a ride on Lyft and was on her way to make the purchase.

Young immediately raised a red flag, telling his passenger that a woman with a stash of cash, showing up alone to meet a guy selling a car over the Internet might be a little risky.

"You hear the stories about people being in these situations like that and I just thought I'd be there for her," Young said. "I shut off my app and I said, 'Now I am your friend. We're here together, so you won't be alone while we are making this deal.'"

Williams said Young even took it a step further, inspecting the Hyundai Sonata himself, taking it for a test drive and negotiating down the price by $300.

"It's just very touching that somebody would take the time to do that," Williams said.

Williams wanted everyone to know about her Lyft driver's random act of kindness, so she reached out to KPHO to pay it forward to Young and give him $500.

KPHO's cameras were rolling when Williams and Young were reunited.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did for me the other day when you took me to buy the car and I told you my family was worried about me being alone in the car with money and a stranger," Williams told Young. "This is the biggest tip I have ever given a cab driver."

Young said the extra money will come in handy over the holidays.