A Michigan family is demanding justice after a 75-year-old man died months after authorities say he was punched in the face by a DoorDash driver during a neighborhood confrontation over speeding.
The incident happened Dec. 28 in Wixom, a Detroit suburb, near Barberry Circle and Windingway Drive.
Police said they were called to the area shortly before 5:30 p.m. after reports of an elderly man lying unconscious and unresponsive in the road.
Investigators soon learned the man, identified as Lloyd Poole, may have been involved in a road rage confrontation.
Shortly after police responded, 41-year-old Ryan Turner arrived at the Wixom Police Department and reported that he had been involved in the incident, according to authorities.
Police said Turner, who was making food deliveries for DoorDash at the time, allegedly admitted he punched Poole because he felt threatened.
According to investigators, Turner said Poole had confronted him about driving too fast in the neighborhood. Turner allegedly claimed Poole fell and hit his head after being punched.
Turner was arrested on a misdemeanor aggravated assault charge and later posted a $35,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
But the case could now become much more serious.
Poole died last week, according to local reports, and the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said it is reviewing the case to determine whether charges should be amended.
“Our office was saddened to learn of Lloyd Poole’s passing,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement to WJBK. “We will continue to seek justice for the Poole family. We are reviewing the case against his alleged assailant and may amend charges as appropriate based on the evidence.”
Poole’s injuries were devastating.
According to WXYZ, doctors performed emergency brain surgery after the incident and removed part of his skull.
His daughter, Jen Shaw, said her father never recovered from the attack.
“He sucker punched my dad, and my dad never got up, and he drove away,” Shaw told WJBK.
Shaw said she still cannot understand how a simple complaint about speeding could allegedly turn so violent.
“People are crazy,” she said. “You cannot anticipate how people are going to react, obviously.”
The case has become even more alarming because Turner reportedly had a prior road rage conviction in 2022 and had lost his license, according to WJBK.
DoorDash condemned the incident in a statement to People.
“What occurred was absolutely appalling and unacceptable,” the company said. “DoorDash has zero tolerance for violence, and we have permanently removed the individual’s access to the platform. We are working with local law enforcement to support their investigation to ensure justice is served.”
For Poole’s family, the details are almost impossible to process.
A 75-year-old man allegedly spoke up about speeding in his own neighborhood. Moments later, he was on the ground with catastrophic head injuries.
Months later, he was dead.
Now prosecutors are reviewing the case as his family waits to see whether the man accused of throwing the punch will face more serious charges.
Seriously, you are Door Dash delivery driver at 41? Hope you go to prison, you pos. This nonsense about he was threatened by a 75 year old? What a loser….
hey turner, you self-entitled pos, can you say lawsuit inbound?
41 year old door dash loser