Before losing consciousness, Habiba, 24, reportedly told eyewitnesses near the scene that she jumped from the moving car on Cairo-Suez Road after the driver sexually harassed her, triggering a public outcry.

Habiba is currently in a coma after sustaining a brain haemorrhage in the incident.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has personally followed up on her health condition, according to her mother.

The Presidency assured the family of the state’s commitment to providing necessary medical care to their daughter in Egypt or abroad, said the mother.

According to the Ministry of Interior,  the accused driver claimed during preliminary interrogation that he rolled up the windows to spray some perfume, triggering Habiba's reaction.

He also said he drove off after the client jumped out of his vehicle to avoid potential trouble, according to the interior ministry.

The car and the perfume bottle have been seized as part of the ongoing investigation, said the ministry.

The mother said she had filed a criminal complaint with Public Prosecution saying the driver attempted to kidnap her daughter and caused her injuries.

She cited eyewitness reports that her daughter had told passersby that the “Uber [driver] was about to kidnap me” before she lost consciousness.