A woman accused of fatally shooting her Uber driver in Texas after believing she was being driven to Mexico against her will, has been charged with murder, authorities said.

According to a news report from NBC, Phoebe D Copas, 48, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, remained in El Paso County jail following the June 16 incident.

The driver, Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, was taken off life support on Wednesday. Copas was initially booked on suspicion of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury but the case was upgraded to murder after the driver died. Bond for Copas was increased from $1 million to $1.5 million.

NBC says detectives believe Copas was in the backseat of the Uber en route to meet her boyfriend at a casino when she saw roadway signs stating “Juarez, Mexico,” which is across the border from El Paso, according to the affidavit.

Believing she was being kidnapped and taken to Mexico, Copas shot the driver.

She did not call authorities before shooting, and she didn’t summon help immediately after opening fire, court document stated. Instead, she took a photo of the injured driver and texted it to her boyfriend, detectives said in the affidavit. Then she called for help.

First responders arrived to find Piedra bleeding profusely from the back of his head. He was hospitalised in critical condition.

“The investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ destination,” police said.

In a statement about the case, Uber said it would cooperate with investigators should its help be needed, and added that it has been in touch with the driver’s loved ones.

“We are horrified by the rider’s actions,” it said.