An elderly Michigan veteran has died after allegedly being sucker-punched by a DoorDash driver he told to slow down.
Lloyd Poole, 75, was left in a coma, had part of his skull removed and underwent seven brain surgeries before he died from his injuries May 16, five months after the attack, his family said.
“He had seven different brain surgeries during that time, numerous infections during that time. He ended up with pneumonia a couple times,” Poole’s grieving stepdaughter, Lindsey Gonzalez, told CBS Detroit.
“It was just a downwhirl spiral since everything happened that night,” she said.
DoorDash driver Ryan Daniel Turner, 40, allegedly sucke-rpunched Poole in Wixom, about 30 miles from Detroit, on Dec. 28 after the older man confronted him for reportedly speeding through the neighborhood.
Turner later went to the local police station and admitted to punching Poole after officers were called to the scene about a report of a man lying unconscious in the roadway.
“The medical examiner did rule the cause of death as homicide by blunt force trauma,” Gonzalez said.
Poole and his wife had just returned from Ireland before the attack and had plans to travel to Alaska this year.
“It stinks that basically my mom and [stepdad’s] golden years of traveling and being retired was taken away by this man,” Gonzalez said.
Turner was arraigned on one count of aggravated assault before Poole’s death and is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing, court records show.
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office told The Post on Tuesday that the charges against Turner may be upgraded since Poole died.
“Our office was saddened to learn of Lloyd Poole’s passing. We will continue to seek justice for the Poole family,” a rep said in a statement. “We are reviewing the case against his alleged assailant and may amend charges as appropriate based on the evidence.”
Either way, Poole’s family says they are frustrated that his alleged killer is not currently in jail.
“I mean, he’s out on bond on house arrest on a tether, so he’s not going anywhere, but he’s still sitting out, and this happened to Lloyd,” Gonzalez said.