Parents of KU student struck by car file wrongful death suit against driver, DoorDash
The parents of a University of Kansas student fatally struck by a car while jogging in Lawrence on Nov. 6, 2025, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the man charged in connection with their daughter’s death, as well as a food delivery service the man worked for.
Jordan and Anna McGrain filed the suit against William Ray Klingler, 37, and food delivery service DoorDash, in Douglas County court on Wednesday on behalf of their daughter, 20-year-old Elsa McGrain, who was struck by a vehicle around 6 p.m. on Nov. 6 while jogging near the Lawrence Regional Airport.
A passerby located Elsa McGrain by the road around 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 7 and contacted law enforcement.
Klingler was arrested on Nov. 9 and charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death, according to a Douglas County warrant. He also faces one count each of operating a car without an ignition interlock device and driving while suspended, his second or subsequent conviction.
Elsa McGrain’s parents file lawsuit against Klingler, DoorDash
In the lawsuit, Elsa McGrain’s parents, Jordan and Anna McGrain, allege Klingler was working as a DoorDash driver when he fatally struck their daughter.
Court documents previously revealed Klingler has been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) at least four times between 2018 and 2023. The week of the deadly crash, he also failed to appear before a court in a previous case.
The McGrains, who are from Nebraska, claim in the suit that Klingler was completing deliveries the night of Elsa McGrain’s death as an “unvetted, unauthorized” DoorDash driver and assert the company should have known about Klingler’s previous DUI convictions.
The suit contends that if DoorDash did know about the DUI charges against Klingler, and allowed him to work for the food delivery company anyway, that it “created and profited from a business model that foreseeably allowed dangerous individuals to circumvent its background check process.
“DoorDash’s failure to implement basic safeguards, despite the obvious and extreme risk of harm to the public, demonstrates a conscious disregard for the rights and safety of others and constitutes gross negligence and recklessness,” the lawsuit said.
Against Klingler, the suit claims the man was “unfit to be a delivery driver,” and that he failed to keep a proper lookout and control his vehicle, and that he operated his vehicle at an unsafe speed, resulting in Elsa McGrain’s death.
The parents allege negligence from both parties, resulting in their daughter’s death. They are seeking damages well in excess of $75,000, according to the lawsuit.
Parents say Elsa McGrain spent ‘every waking moment’ serving others
Parents say Elsa McGrain spent ‘every waking moment’ serving others
Elsa McGrain, an Omaha native, was set to graduate from the University of Kansas in 2026, after which she dreamed of becoming a pediatric oncologist. She was a member of the University of Kansas chapter of Chi Omega, where she was remembered for her strong faith and loving personality, sentiments Jordan and Anna McGrain mirrored.
“Every waking moment she had was spent doing something in service of others,” Jordan McGrain previously told The Star. “Whether through her school, her sorority, or her faith community.”
Elsa McGrain’s parents said the woman often ran at sunset to feel closer to God. Before she set out to jog on the night of her death, she had asked a close friend if she could pray for her while she ran.
The pair remembered their daughter as a bubbly and goofy child, with a contagious laugh, who was deeply devoted to her Christian faith.
“She just was such a good person ... she lived with conviction, and she didn’t care what people thought,” Anna McGrain said. “Her happiness came when she could help people, when she would reach out to people she was able to find the little guy in the room that nobody else noticed.”
Jordan and Anna McGrain said they plan to honor their daughter’s life and legacy by spreading positivity, and encourage people to “live like Elsa, and connect with each other.”
“And we hope that more good comes out of (her death) than anything else. But I as a mother don’t want someone else to have this happen again to their child.”
The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee and Kendrick Calfee contributed reporting.
This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 10:26 PM.
