A DoorDash driver was hit by a fleeing suspect’s car during a Houston police chase, then got up and completed the delivery anyway

A DoorDash driver in Houston was struck by a car driven by a suspect fleeing from police, but she still completed her food delivery before stopping to recover, according to video shared exclusively with ABC13 Eyewitness News. The incident appears to be captured on home security cameras in the Greenspoint area of Houston.

The driver, who chose not to be publicly identified, told ABC13 that she is in a lot of pain following the collision but confirmed she did not suffer any broken bones. She also said she is looking into filing a claim against the insurance of the vehicle that struck her.

The suspect’s vehicle, a grey sedan, was seen being chased by Houston Police at the time of the collision. After hitting the driver, the suspect reportedly fled on foot and attempted to hide in the backyards of several nearby homes before being taken into custody.

Suspect identified as Torrance Whitaker, 34, was wanted on a burglary charge at the time of the chase

Court documents, cited by the outlet, show that the suspect, identified as Torrance Whitaker, 34, was wanted for burglary and was allegedly fleeing police after an attempted traffic stop in the 13000 block of Northborough Drive. Following the collision, Whitaker reportedly ran from the scene and attempted to hide in nearby yards.

Neighbor Steve Jones, whose home security camera captured part of the incident, described watching Whitaker jump his back fence. “Somebody climbing that fence, coming through my yard and trying to come out,” Jones told ABC13. 

He added, “He went through two more yards, and came out two more houses down the front yard bushes, and the dog brought him out. And I thought it was Live PD!”

A Houston Police K-9 unit reportedly located Whitaker, and he was arrested. According to court documents, Whitaker was subsequently charged with aggravated assault in connection with the collision involving the delivery driver.

Meanwhile, the video shows the DoorDash driver pausing briefly after being hit, then picking up the food and walking it to the front door of the house where she had parked to make the delivery. Delivery drivers are sometimes involved in violent confrontations with customers, as in this Missouri pizza delivery assault.

Lily Portillo, whose home security cameras captured the incident, told the outlet that she witnessed the crash and spoke with the driver afterward. “I was on the phone with my husband, and I just hear somebody crash,” Portillo said. “So I’m like, wait a minute, I heard something from police. When he came out from my door, I think it was HPD parked on my mulch, like what happened here!”

Portillo said she checked on the driver after the delivery. “It’s amazing how the girl just delivered the food. I asked her if she was okay, and she said she was okay,” Portillo said. “She needs a big tip. I really hope somebody finds her and hope she’s okay.” Other delivery drivers have faced inappropriate personal messages from customers after completing orders, like this Wisconsin DoorDash incident.

The driver, who spoke with ABC13 but asked not to be identified, confirmed she was working as a DoorDash driver at the time of the incident. She said she is currently in pain but is grateful she did not sustain any broken bones, and is looking into her options regarding the suspect’s car insurance.