DoorDash Driver Arrested for Pepper Spraying Customer Food

Doorbell Camera Captures Shocking Food Tampering

A routine late-night food delivery in Evansville, Indiana turned into a nightmare when a couple began vomiting and experiencing burning sensations in their mouths, noses, throats, and stomachs after eating their DoorDash order from Arby's . What they discovered next would lead to felony charges against their delivery driver.

Mark Cardin noticed something red had been sprayed on the delivery bag, prompting him to check footage from their doorbell camera . The footage revealed that after dropping off the food and taking a photo, the woman appeared to spray a substance towards the food from a small aerosol can attached to her keychain . Cardin described watching his wife "choking and gasping" after just a couple bites before she vomited .

Driver's Spider Story Falls Apart

Using DoorDash records, detectives identified the driver as Kourtney Stevenson, 29, of Paducah, Kentucky, who told police she had been working for DoorDash while visiting her father in Evansville . Stevenson claimed she was spraying a spider at the time she dropped off the food because she is terrified of them .

However, authorities weren't buying her explanation, noting that the overnight temperature was about 35 degrees Fahrenheit and that spiders don't crawl around in wintertime . As one investigator put it: "I am not an arachnid expert, but I do know, having been a southern Indiana resident for my entire life, that spiders don't crawl around in the wintertime" .

Felony Charges and Company Response

When Stevenson declined to come in for an interview, detectives obtained a warrant for her arrest on charges of battery resulting in moderate injury and consumer product tampering . She was arrested Friday morning by the McCracken County Sheriff's Office in western Kentucky and faces two counts of battery resulting in moderate injury and two counts of consumer product tampering, all felonies .

DoorDash immediately banned Stevenson from the platform, with a spokesperson stating: "We have absolutely zero tolerance for this type of appalling behavior" . The company confirmed they are supporting law enforcement with their investigation .

Trust and Safety in the Gig Economy

This incident exposes critical vulnerabilities in food delivery systems that millions of Americans rely on daily. The case highlights the fragility in the pact between gig platforms, restaurants and consumers based on trust that sealed food will arrive unchanged, raising questions about existing delivery protections during the final moments between a driver's car and a customer's door .

The shocking nature of this case - captured on video and resulting in immediate physical harm - may serve as a catalyst for stricter safety protocols across the industry. With food delivery becoming integral to daily life, this incident underscores the urgent need for platforms to balance convenience and speed with robust accountability measures that protect consumers from the very people they trust to handle their meals.