Stories like the one about the South Carolina college student who was killed after getting into a car she mistook for an Uber raise questions about what riders can do to help maximize their safety.

Samantha Josephson decided to call an Uber around 2 a.m. Friday after being separated from her roommates during a night out in Columbia, South Carolina, police said Saturday.  About 14 hours later, turkey hunters found her body in a field 90 miles from Columbia.

Samantha Josephson

"What we know now is that she had, in fact, summoned an Uber ride and was waiting for that Uber ride to come," Columbia Police Chief W.H. "Skip" Holbrook said, citing surveillance footage. "We believe that she simply mistakenly got into this particular car thinking it was an Uber ride."

Police searched for the car Josephson had gotten into and around 3 a.m. Saturday a Columbia officer saw the Impala and stopped the vehicle, Holbrook said. When the officer asked the driver to get out the car, he ran but was quickly captured, the chief said.

Investigators searched the Impala.

Blood found in the car's passenger side and trunk was matched to Josephson's, the chief said, and her cell phone was found in the passenger compartment. Investigators also found a container of liquid bleach, germicidal wipes and window cleaner in the vehicle, he said.

Holbrook also said the child safety locks in the Impala were activated, which would make it difficult for anyone to open the back doors from the inside.

Nathaniel David Rowland, 24, faces murder and kidnapping charges in the death of Samantha Josephson, 21. A bond hearing was scheduled for Sunday.

A  gofundme campaign for funeral and memorial costs, with a goal of $5,000, had drawn more than $35,000 in pledges. Josephson’s father, Seymour Josephson, posted a note on Facebook with details for her funeral Wednesday in her native New Jersey.

“I will miss and love my baby girl for the rest of life," he said. "Samantha is no longer with us but she will not be forgotten."

Samantha Josephson

There have been other reports about horrific incidents when people mistakenly get in the wrong car waiting for their Lyft or Uber.  In Washington DC on October 2015 a woman was sexual assaulted when she mistakenly got in the wrong car.

The victim used the ridesharing service's app to request a car. According to police, she got in a silver sedan, which she thought was the vehicle. But it wasn't.

The driver, described as Middle Eastern man in his early 30s, held her up at knifepoint in the car and sexually assaulted her.  

The victim escaped leaving her keys and wallet items behind. She knocked on the door at a house for help. The people in the home let her in, comforted her and called 911.

Here are some key safety tips for using rideshare services like Uber and Lyft:

Wait for your ride indoors
This prevents you from standing outside unnecessarily with a phone in your hand, signaling to passing motorists that you're waiting for someone to pick you up. Instead, wait until your driver is close or has arrived before going outside.

Confirm details when the car arrives
Don't just look at what time your driver is coming. Pay attention to the make, model and color of the car, as well as the driver's name and photo.

Make sure to match the license plate number on your screen to the one you see in real life.

Map your own route during the ride
This is especially important if you're in a different city and aren't familiar with the route. By monitoring your own GPS navigation, you'll see if the driver is leading you astray.

Don't share private information with your driver
This includes your personal phone number. The Uber app automatically encrypts both the driver's number and the passenger's digits to protect both sides' privacy.

You should never share credit card info with the driver. All Lyft and Uber fares are paid through the app, and tips can be added there, too.

Ride in the back seat
If you're the only passenger in the car, riding in the back seat gives both the passenger and driver more personal space. It also ensures you're able to get out on either side to avoid traffic.

Tell a friend where you're going and who you're with
Both Lyft and Uber let you quickly and easily share who your driver is, where you're going and when you're supposed to get there.

The "share status" option in the Uber app gives your friend your driver's name, photo, license plate and location. Your friend can then track your trip and see your estimated time of arrival -- even if he or she doesn't have the app.

The "send ETA" feature on the Lyft app is very similar. It sends a text to your friend with details about the car, the driver and how far along you are on the route.

Please warn others about these safety tips when using Uber or Lyft.  Also share this to make everyone aware, it could save a life.

sources: CNN / Fox5DC / CNN (2)