Left: Ryan Turner (Wixom police). Right: Lloyd Poole (Jen Shaw via WJBK).
A 75-year-old Michigan man died months after a DoorDash driver allegedly punched him in the face when the victim told the suspect he was driving too fast in the neighborhood.
Police in the Detroit suburb of Wixom said they were called to a home in the area of Barberry Circle and Windingway Drive shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 for an “unconscious and unresponsive” elderly man who was lying in the road. Investigators learned the man was possibly involved in a road rage incident.
Shortly thereafter, Ryan Turner, now 41, arrived at the Wixom Police Department to report he was involved in the incident and allegedly admitted to punching the man, Lloyd Poole, because he felt threatened. Turner, who was making food deliveries for DoorDash, said the man fell down and hit his head after the punch.
Turner said the man confronted him about speeding in the neighborhood which led to the altercation. Cops arrested Turner on a misdemeanor aggravated assault charge. He”s since posted a $35,000 bond. He’s slated to appear in court on Wednesday.
But Turner could face more serious charges after the victim died last week, local Fox affiliate WJBK reported.
“Our office was saddened to learn of Lloyd Poole’s passing,” the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement to the outlet. “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.”
According to Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ, doctors performed emergency brain surgery to remove part of his skull following the incident.
“He sucker punched my dad, and my dad never got up, and he drove away,” Poole’s daughter Jen Shaw told WJBK.
She doesn’t understand why someone would become so violent.
“People are crazy,” said Shaw. “You cannot anticipate how people are going to react, obviously.”
Per WJBK, Turner was previously convicted in a separate road rage case in 2022. He lost his license.
DoorDash released the following statement to People:
“What occurred was absolutely appalling and unacceptable,” the statement 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.”
