LAWRENCE, a DoorDash driver in Kansas with four DUI arrests in five years was allowed to make deliveries for the food delivery company despite having a suspended license, a lawsuit alleges, a failure that plaintiffs say led to the death of a young woman who was jogging.
William Klingler, 37, is accused of striking and killing Elsa McGrain, 20, while she was running along the 1700 block of East 1500 Road, south of U.S. Highway 24-40 near the Lawrence Regional Airport, on Nov. 7, 2025. According to court filings, Klingler was actively making DoorDash deliveries at the time of the incident.
The lawsuit, filed by McGrain’s parents, alleges Klingler was an unvetted and unauthorized DoorDash driver who was unfit to operate a commercial delivery vehicle but was able to circumvent the company’s background check process. McGrain’s body was not discovered until the following morning.
After the collision, Klingler allegedly fled the scene in his Ford F-150 pickup truck and avoided arrest for two days before being taken into custody on Nov. 9, 2025. He is charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death, operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock device, and driving while his license was suspended.
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Klingler later told another person that he had struck a deer. That individual inspected the vehicle and questioned the explanation after observing no deer hair or other signs consistent with such an incident.
Investigators said Klingler later admitted he was scared and showed the person what he had struck. Police noted that the individual explained the victim had been lawfully jogging along the roadway.
McGrain’s parents filed their lawsuit against Klingler and DoorDash on Feb. 4, 2026. The suit alleges DoorDash should have discovered Klingler’s history of DUI-related arrests before allowing him to work as a delivery driver. Court records indicate Klingler was charged at least four times between 2018 and 2023.
The legal petition states that DoorDash knew or should have known that Klingler was unfit to operate a commercial delivery vehicle due to his suspended license, prior DUI convictions, violations involving ignition interlock requirements, drug possession, and multiple traffic safety offenses. The lawsuit further alleges the company’s business practices allowed dangerous individuals to bypass its background screening process.
A GoFundMe created for McGrain’s family describes her as a pre-med student at the University of Kansas, a talented soccer player, and an active member of her sorority.
Klingler remains held without bond at the Douglas County Detention Center. He is scheduled to appear in court for a status conference on Feb. 17.
