QUEENS (PIX11) -- A Lyft driver was left fearing for his life after a passenger lunged at him while on the road, allegedly grabbing, hitting and choking him.

The bizarre behavior was caught on a dash camera video. 

The NYPD, Thursday afternoon, arrested the woman who may have been severely intoxicated. 

It started like any other ride on Dec. 9. Shahadat drove Maura Wooley, 66, home to Queens from a New Hyde Park bar around 10 p.m. 

Then, eight minutes into the ride, without any prior provocation.

"I guess I have no choice, do I?" she's heard on video mumbling to herself.

That's when the drive turned dangerous. Wooley put her hands on the driver in his 50s.

"I will f---ing rip your face off! I will rip your f---ing face off!" she said.

The Queens woman nearly climbed into the front seat and unleashed a verbal and physical tirade. 

Shahadat said he was terrified and drove panicked for about two more minutes until he could flag down a passerby for help. 

"Brother, call police. Hello, hello!" he exclaimed out the window. 

A person with asthma, he said she continued to choke him.

"When she choked me and had my hair. She tried to move my glasses from my face, grab my face," he said from his home. 

The husband and father, who are the sole providers, haven't been able to sleep or bring himself to go back to work.

"Why she attack me? I do nothing," he said.

His son was speaking out in hopes of bringing awareness to the dangers of the job.

"I was hearing my dad scream loudly for help for his life. I'm glad we spoke out. It got community support and attention," Asm, 20, said. 

Wooley’s daughter told PIX11 she has no history of mental illness and believes she was severely intoxicated. The woman woke up in the hospital after the episode. She was arrested and charged with attempted assault, obstruction of breathing and harassment. 

If ever in danger, Lyft urges drivers to utilize the panic button on the app.

In a statement, a spokesperson said:

“The behavior described has no place on the Lyft platform. We have reached out to the driver to offer our support, deactivated the ride requestor’s account from the platform and stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation.”

Wooley was issued a desk appearance ticket and will be summonsed to court at a later date.