Businesses voice concern for Doordash safety after driver shot

O’FALLON, Mo. – A shot rang through the 800 block of Barbara Place just before 12:30 a.m. on July 7 when a delivery driver mistakenly delivered an order to the wrong address and attempted to retrieve it.

Homeowner Dwayne Tyreese Jones confronted the driver, leading to a gunshot and the victim being found on Jones’ driveway. Emergency responders administered life-saving measures before transporting the driver to the hospital.

“He’s still in the hospital; he’s gone through a number of surgeries already and he’s still in very, very critical condition… In this situation, I don’t think the driver did anything to warrant this kind of action,” Joe McCulloch, the prosecuting attorney for St. Charles County, said.

Doordash, a popular food delivery service, is widely utilized around St. Charles County and takes several measures to ensure their drivers’ safety. They’ve partnered with ADT to give drivers access to agents and direct lines to 911, but in moments like this, it makes the community wonder if more can be done to protect drivers.

One downtown St. Charles shop keeper who uses Doordash told FOX 2, “If I was a Doordash driver, this would  scare me too…it makes me concerned for the people I know who do Doordash and their safety.”

Emily Hartig of Riverside Sweets also utilizes Doordash for her business.

“If it does get really unsafe and more things happen, I think businesses could start to question if it’s worth it—if they’re not making a ton of money off of it, they don’t want to put people in danger,” she said.

Others aren’t as quick to possibly ditch the service, like Chip Bates, owner of The Main House.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword; if that system imploded, then all of those people would be finding other jobs somewhere else,” Bates said.

The St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is charging Jones with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He remains in custody without bond due to his prior criminal history. His next scheduled court appearance is July 17.

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