Left: Ryan Turner (Wixom police). Right: Lloyd Poole (Jen Shaw via WJBK).
In a troubling incident from the Detroit suburb of Wixom, Michigan, a 75-year-old man is in critical condition following an altercation with a DoorDash driver. The confrontation reportedly began when the elderly man, Lloyd Poole, admonished the driver for speeding through the neighborhood. Tragically, this encounter escalated into violence.
Authorities responded to a call reporting an “unconscious and unresponsive” man lying on the road in the vicinity of Barberry Circle and Windingway Drive on December 28, shortly before 5:30 p.m. Upon arrival, police discovered Poole had been involved in what appeared to be a road rage incident.
Not long after the incident, Ryan Turner, the 40-year-old DoorDash driver, voluntarily presented himself at the Wixom Police Department. Turner confessed to striking Poole, claiming he did so out of fear, feeling threatened by the older man. Turner described how Poole, after being punched, fell and struck his head on the pavement.
The confrontation began when Poole confronted Turner about his driving speed in the residential area. Following the physical altercation, Turner was arrested and charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault. He was released after posting a $35,000 bond, pending his next court appearance on January 14.
Lloyd Poole, the victim, remains in a coma after undergoing emergency brain surgery to alleviate swelling by removing part of his skull. His daughter, Jen Shaw, expressed her distress in an interview with local media, stating, “He sucker punched my dad, and my dad never got up, and he drove away,” highlighting the severity and suddenness of the attack.
This incident, reported by Detroit’s ABC affiliate WXYZ, underscores the potential dangers of seemingly mundane interactions escalating into violence, leaving a community and a family grappling with the aftermath.
Shaw said her father is still in a coma.
“Could be like this for a day, could be like this for a week, or a year,” she 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.”
