DoorDash driver recovering after alleged road rage attack in Onslow County
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an alleged road rage attack that left a DoorDash driver with serious head injuries early Saturday morning.
Christen Phillips, 34, remains at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, where she is recovering after undergoing treatment for skull fractures she said were caused when an unidentified suspect struck her with a wooden bat.
“I had some fractures here on the left side of my head,” Phillips told WWAY on Monday. “They had to do a pretty big incision.”
Phillips, a mother of three, said she had been driving for DoorDash and Uber Eats between jobs to help support her family.
“I was supplementing income in the in-between by doing DoorDash and Uber Eats and stuff, so that’s kind of how I ended up there that night,” she said.
According to Phillips, the incident began around 1 a.m. Saturday while she was picking up an order from McDonald’s near Jacksonville. She said she honked at the driver of a Range Rover who remained stopped at a green light in a left-turn lane.
“And the person who was sitting there at the light was just sitting there, but the light was green, so I honked and he did go,” Phillips said.
Rather than continuing on, Phillips said the Range Rover driver followed her to the delivery location.
After arriving at the customer’s home around 2 a.m., Phillips said she noticed the driver 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,'” she said. “And that’s all I remember.”
Phillips said she later regained consciousness and found the suspect had fled.
“It was the middle of the night. I didn’t want to wake anybody up, so I took off and just started driving toward the hospital because I wasn’t sure what else to do,” she said. “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.”
During a Monday news conference, Onslow County Sheriff Christopher Thomas said investigators are working to identify the Range Rover and its occupants.
Authorities have not released information about a suspect. Thomas said investigators believe road rage may have been a factor in the attack.
“You never know what the person in another vehicle is going through or how they are going to react, so you should be careful,” Thomas said.
The sheriff encouraged motorists who feel threatened to drive to a well-lit, populated area rather than confronting another driver.
Phillips offered similar advice but urged people to remain inside their vehicles if they believe they are in danger.
“I do honestly believe that when the guy hit me in the head and I was knocked out, I believe he thought I was dead and he left me for dead,” she said. “It’s a miracle I woke up.”
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident or the Range Rover involved is encouraged to contact the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.
