Lyft driver says missing college student entered another vehicle after he dropped her off

A missing University of Utah student was last seen hopping into another person's vehicle after a Lyft driver dropped her off at her destination, according to the New York Post.

Mackenzie Lueck, 23, of El Segundo, Calif., landed at the Salt Lake City airport in the early morning hours of June 17 and reportedly ordered a Lyft to Hatch Park in North Salt Lake. She had just returned from a trip to California, where she had attended her grandmother's funeral.

"Detectives have spoken with the Lyft driver and learned that Mackenzie was met at Hatch Park by an individual in a vehicle," Salt Lake City Assistant Police Chief Tim Doubt said. "The Lyft driver left Mackenzie at the park with that person and stated that Mackenzie did not appear to be in any type of distress."

The Lyft driver purportedly dropped the college student off at the park around 3 a.m. and continued to give rides afterwards. In a statement, Lyft, which is cooperating with authorities, said Lueck's route prior to her disappearance had "contained no irregularities and ended at the destination entered by the rider."

"We recognize how scary this must be for those who know and love Ms. Lueck," the ride-share company said. "The safety of our community is fundamental to Lyft and we are actively assisting law enforcement with their investigation."

Police said that Lueck's roommates became concerned after she never came home, which is a 20-minute drive away from the park. In the days since she disappeared, the college senior has supposedly skipped an exam — which, according to her friends, is uncommon — and missed a flight to Los Angeles, law enforcement added.

“We don’t have any evidence that foul play has occurred but the circumstances of her going off the grid and not showing up for appointments and flights is concerning to us,” Doubt said.

Some of Lueck's friends echoed the same sentiment at a news conference on Sunday.

"For her to not reach out to me is very unlike her. She is usually in touch with me every day," said Kennedy Stoner, one of the missing student's close friends. "We don’t believe she would miss a midterm because she was stressed. I am positive something is wrong. ... I don’t believe she would go off and not contact one person."

Lueck is about 5’6” tall and weighs 120 pounds. She has blonde hair and brown eyes. Anybody with any information regarding her disappearance should contact the Salt Lake City Police at (801) 799-3000.