DoorDash driver recovering from alleged bat attack may undergo brain surgery

JACKSONVILLE, NC (WWAY) — A DoorDash driver who investigators say was seriously injured in an alleged road rage attack in Jacksonville last weekend is now facing additional surgeries as she continues her recovery.

Christen Phillips, 34, remains hospitalized at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center after suffering skull fractures during the alleged assault.

In a social media update shared this week, Phillips said she is scheduled to undergo facial surgery and may also require brain surgery Monday to have a shunt placed.

Phillips alleges she was attacked early Saturday morning after what began as a road rage encounter while she was delivering food.

According to Phillips, the incident started around 1 a.m. as she was picking up a DoorDash order from a McDonald’s near Jacksonville. She said she honked at the driver of a black Range Rover that remained stopped at a green left-turn signal.

Rather than continuing on, Phillips said the driver followed her to the delivery location.

After arriving at the customer’s home around 2 a.m., Phillips said she saw someone standing near her vehicle holding a wooden bat.

“I just remember saying to him, ‘Are you intimidated by me? Because I don’t think you need that. I’m half your size,'” Phillips previously told WWAY. “And that’s all I remember.”

Phillips said she later regained consciousness and drove herself to the hospital.

“As soon as I walked into the hospital, they immediately took me into a room because I guess I was covered in blood at that point,” she said.

The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the case. Sheriff Christopher Thomas previously said investigators believe road rage may have been a factor in the attack and are working to identify the black Range Rover and the person responsible.

Authorities have not announced any arrests or identified a suspect.

A GoFundMe has been created to help Phillips with medical expenses and her recovery.

Anyone with information about the alleged attack or the black Range Rover involved is asked to contact the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.