‘In an effort to assist’: A DoorDash driver was arrested mid-delivery, and in a surprising twist, the cops took over the job

In a crazy series of events in Cape Coral, Florida, police officers arrested a DoorDash driver because they thought he was driving drunk. But then they decided to deliver the customer’s meal themselves. That shows some really serious commitment to customer service, even though the situation that led to it was pretty bad.

According to People, the whole thing happened when the Cape Coral Police Department (CCPD) got calls about a man who looked like he was passed out behind the wheel of a car. The car was sitting still right at a traffic light near where Skyline Blvd and Cape Coral Pkwy meet. According to a CCPD press release, officers were sent out right away to check what was going on.

Bodycam footage that WBBH got shows the driver, a 25-year-old man named Luis Alania Estrella, leaning over in his Toyota car when officers got there. This is completely unacceptable behavior for anyone driving a car, and especially for someone who’s working for a delivery service while they’re on the job.

This driver’s actions put everyone at risk

Estrella ended up getting arrested and charged with a DUI and driving with a license that was suspended. The charges are really serious, especially because Estrella’s Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was supposedly way higher than the legal limit. The CCPD found Estrella’s BAC was 0.15%. That’s almost double Florida’s legal limit of 0.08%, which is just terrible. After the arrest, the CCPD also said that Estrella was taken to the Lee County Jail in good health.

But this is where the story takes a surprisingly nice turn. While dealing with the arrest, police noticed that Estrella still had the customer’s dinner in the car. Instead of letting the food get cold or canceling the order, the CCPD explained that one of the officers who responded decided to finish the delivery. This heartwarming gesture stands in stark contrast to a driver who faced felony charges in another incident.

The department said they did this “in an effort to assist the community member awaiting their meal.” The press release went on, explaining that the officer’s actions “helped ensure the resident received the meal safely and without unnecessary delay.” Not all DoorDash deliveries end with such unexpected visitors, though some customers have experienced heartwarming surprises from their delivery drivers.

You have to imagine how surprised the person who ordered dinner must have been when they opened their door expecting a normal Dasher and instead saw a police officer standing there holding their food. Officer Mercedes Simonds talked about the unusual delivery to the media. “Having that officer stop by, I’m sure the people were not expecting to have an officer show up at their door, but in this case, hopefully they were happy that they were there,” she said. 

A spokesperson confirmed that the company has a policy of “zero tolerance for driving under the influence.” They were very clear, saying that “every single Dasher is required to follow the law, period.” Because of this major violation, Estrella’s access to the DoorDash platform has been “permanently removed.”