Two Jewish yeshiva students were horrified to learn that two weeks ago they were driven by accused mass murderer Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, who mowed down 20-odd people Tuesday in a Manhattan park, killing eight.

Saipov, who declared his allegiance to Islamic State, was “driving for Lyft when he scooped up Eli Grynhaus and his older brother Avrumi on Oct. 19,” according to the New York Daily News. “The brothers had just arrived from a vacation in Miami Beach, looking for a ride to their home in Lakewood, N.J.”

The newspaper report continued:

The men, who kept their receipt, never talked religion or politics during the $71 fare. But Eli Grynhaus said he felt a little uneasy when Saipov got lost during the trip that lasted more than an hour, from 5:45 p.m. to 7:03 p.m.

“When we got to Lakewood, he took us down a back street,” Grynhaus said. “I asked him why he was going down there. I was starting to get nervous. It was a bad area. He said he made a mistake.”

Making small talk, Saipov told the teen students he once lived in Tampa, Fla. The driver also talked about how he alternated between driving for Uber and driving for Lyft, depending on the better fares.

Talk about a brush with destiny.

This item first appeared at Bombthrowers on Nov. 2, 2017.