Lloyd Poole, Wixom, Michigan elderly man left for dead after being assaulted by Ryan Turner, Door Dash driver after asking speeding driver to slow down.
An elderly man in Wixom, Michigan has been left in a coma and clinging to life after being assaulted by a Door Dash driver following a roadside confrontation.
Lloyd Poole, 75, stepped out of his driveway last Sunday, asking Ryan Turner, 40, to slow down while driving through the area.
According to Poole’s daughter, Jen Shaw, the two men exchanged words before Turner then punched her father on the side of the head without warning. After having assaulted the elderly man, Turner is alleged to have gotten back in his vehicle and driven away, leaving the comotose man for dead.
Wixam elderly man had asked speeding Door Dash driver to slow down
‘He punched him right in the side of the head,’ Shaw told KBTX. ‘My dad fell, never got up, never moved, and the DoorDash driver got back in his vehicle and drove away.’ The incident was captured on video surveillance.
Poole has been hospitalized since the incident. He suffered a severe head injury and underwent emergency brain surgery during which doctors removed part of his skull. His family says he has not fully regained consciousness yet.
‘He’s not responding. He can’t talk. He’s not awake,’ the victim’s daughter said. ‘We don’t know when he’s going to get out of this hospital bed. That may never happen.’
Wixom police say Turner admitted to striking Poole and leaving him lying in the street. Investigators say Turner told officers he ‘felt threatened’ after getting out of his vehicle to confront Poole.
Which raises the question, if the 40-year-old driver felt threatened by the 75-year-old, why hadn’t he simply gotten back in his car and left the scene?
Wixam veteran’s family demand justice
Turner following his arrest was charged with aggravated assault, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail. He posted $3500 bond Thursday, FOX2 reported.
‘He’s going about his life as normally as can be, and we’re definitely not,’ Shaw said. ‘He’s out, wandering around. You just never know. People are unpredictable.’
In a statement, DoorDash called the incident ‘appalling,’ confirming Turner has been removed from the platform and that the company is cooperating with law enforcement.
Shaw described her father as a strong, kind man who regularly volunteers in the community. She said he never imagined a brief interaction would leave him fighting for his life. Family members are now taking shifts at the hospital, hoping he will regain consciousness.
Court records show Turner has prior assault and battery charges from 2022 that were later reduced, along with multiple driving-related offenses, including driving with a suspended or invalid license.
