Oakland County prosecutors said they are reviewing whether to amend charges against Ryan Turner.
WIXOM, MI — A 75-year-old Wixom man has died months after police said a DoorDash driver punched him during a neighborhood speeding dispute, leaving him unconscious in a roadway and hospitalized with a severe brain injury.
Lloyd Poole’s death shifts a case that began as a misdemeanor assault prosecution into a more serious review by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. Ryan Turner, the delivery driver accused of striking Poole, had been charged after the Dec. 28 confrontation. Prosecutors said after learning of Poole’s death that they were reviewing the evidence and could amend charges as appropriate.
Police said officers were called just before 5:30 p.m. Dec. 28 to Barberry Circle and Windingway Drive in the Hidden Creek subdivision, where Poole was found unconscious and unresponsive in the road. Investigators said Poole had confronted Turner about driving too fast through the neighborhood. Turner then pulled over, got out of his vehicle and exchanged words with Poole before striking him with a closed fist, police said. Poole fell, hit his head on the roadway and did not get back up. Poole’s daughter, Jen Shaw, said her father was “sucker-punched” and never recovered from the fall.
Turner later went to the Wixom Police Department and spoke with officers, according to police. Investigators said he admitted striking Poole but told them he felt threatened during the confrontation. Police said Turner also admitted leaving the scene after Poole fell. Poole was taken to a hospital and remained in serious condition for weeks. Family members said he suffered bleeding and swelling in his brain, underwent emergency surgery and later needed multiple procedures. Shaw said earlier this year that her father was not talking, not awake and not responding. The exact medical finding tying Poole’s death to the Dec. 28 injury had not been publicly released as of Saturday.
Poole’s family described him as a father, veteran and active member of the community who had stepped outside because he was concerned about speeding near his home. The confrontation drew attention across metro Detroit because of Poole’s age, the severity of his injury and the fact that Turner was working as a delivery driver. DoorDash said after the attack that the incident was appalling, that Turner had been removed from its platform and that the company was cooperating with law enforcement. Police and court records cited in local reports also showed Turner had earlier driving offenses and a prior assault-related case from 2022.
Turner was initially charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault, a charge that carries up to one year in jail under Michigan law. Bond was first set at $35,000, with Turner able to post 10%. Court action later changed the terms after officials said he violated bond conditions. In March, a district court judge set a new $100,000 bond, with Turner required to post $10,000 cash or surety. Officials said he would be placed on electronic tether if released while the case continued. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said after Poole’s death that it was saddened by the news and would continue seeking justice for the family.
The case left Poole’s relatives pressing for tougher action well before his death. Shaw said in January that the family had watched video of the confrontation and struggled with the fact that Turner had been charged with a misdemeanor while Poole remained in a hospital bed. She said the sound of the hit was harder than she expected and that her family did not know whether Poole would wake up. In February, she said doctors had performed several brain surgeries, including work connected to damage to part of his skull. Family members said they kept watch over him as his condition stayed grave.
As of Saturday, prosecutors had not announced a new charge. The next step is a review of medical records, police reports, witness accounts and any video evidence before a decision is made on whether to amend the case in Oakland County court.
Author note: Last updated May 23, 2026.