Insets, left to right: William Klingler, Elsa McGrain (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in Kansas where William Klingler allegedly killed Elsa McGrain in a hit-and-run crash while driving for DoorDash (WDAF/YouTube).
In Kansas, a DoorDash driver with a history of four DUIs over five years was allowed to continue making deliveries, which resulted in a tragic incident where he fatally struck a jogger while driving with a suspended license. A lawsuit claims this occurred due to inadequate vetting by the food delivery company. The driver allegedly attempted to disguise the collision by claiming he had hit a deer.
The driver, identified as 37-year-old William Klingler, was described as an “unvetted, unauthorized DoorDash driver unfit for commercial deliveries,” yet he managed to bypass DoorDash’s screening process. This information comes from a legal petition filed by the family of Elsa McGrain, the jogger who was killed.
On November 7, 2025, Klingler was reportedly delivering orders when he allegedly collided with 20-year-old McGrain in Lawrence as she jogged along East 1500 Road, near the Lawrence Regional Airport. Her body was discovered only the next day.
After the incident, Klingler is accused of fleeing in his Ford F-150 truck and evading authorities for two days until his arrest on November 9, 2025. He faces charges including leaving the scene of a fatal accident, driving without an ignition interlock device, and driving with a suspended license.
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Klingler had someone assess the damage to his vehicle, claiming he had hit a deer. The individual inspecting the truck doubted this explanation, noting the absence of deer hair on the vehicle. Klingler eventually admitted his fear and revealed what had truly occurred. The affidavit also notes that the person informed Klingler about the legality of walking on the road where the incident took place.
Klingler “expressed that he was scared” before he eventually showed the person “what was hit,” the affidavit adds. The individual “explained to Mr. Klingler that was the legal way to walk in the road,” according to police investigators.
McGrain’s parents filed their lawsuit against Klingler and DoorDash on Feb. 4, 2026, and claimed that his “dangerous” history of DUI arrests should have been discovered by DoorDash before they hired him. He was charged at least four times between 2018 and 2023, the legal petition points out.
“DoorDash actually knew, or should have known upon a reasonable vetting, facts showing defendant Klingler’s unfitness to operate a commercial delivery vehicle, including but not limited to his having a suspended driver’s license and his numerous previous convictions for crimes such as driving under the influence, bypassing ignition interlock device requirements, drug possession, and various traffic safety infractions,” the petition says. “DoorDash’s conduct created and profited from a business model that foreseeably allowed dangerous individuals to circumvent its background check process.”
A GoFundMe launched for McGrain’s family describes her as a “pre-med student” at the University of Kansas who was a “talented soccer player” and a “devoted member of her sorority.”
Klingler is currently being held without bond at the Douglas County Detention Center. He is due to appear in court for a status conference on Feb. 17.
