Uber Eats driver dragged to death outside Chicago hospital; suspect charged

Daniel L. Figueroa, 28, an Uber Eats delivery driver, was found fatally injured early in the morning outside Loretto Hospital on Chicago’s West Side after prosecutors say he was dragged and run over by his own van. Authorities have charged 33-year-old Montoya Perry with one felony count of murder and one felony count of vehicular hijacking in the incident.

A physician working the overnight shift at Loretto Hospital discovered Figueroa in the street shortly after 2 a.m., according to hospital accounts and local reports. The doctor said he went outside to retrieve his meal and found Figueroa unresponsive with blood coming from his head, and later said, "I tried to pick him up, called his name." Bystanders who pulled over and a hospital security guard stayed with the victim until first responders arrived, and Figueroa was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Prosecutors described a sequence in which Figueroa had walked into the hospital to drop off an order and returned to find Perry and two other people inside his van. Prosecutors say Figueroa grabbed the front passenger door handle as Perry sped off, and that he was dragged on the ground and struck by the vehicle’s rear tire as it fled the scene near the 5500 block of West Flournoy Street at Flournoy and Central Avenue in the South Austin neighborhood.

Law enforcement moved to arrest Perry this week; ABC7 reported officers took her into custody just after noon Monday, and prosecutors held a detention hearing later in the week. Local television and online outlets circulated a booking photo of Perry after the arrest, and court documents filed by prosecutors list the murder and vehicular hijacking counts against her.

Figueroa’s family and neighbors described him as a hard worker who supported his family with multiple jobs. Girlfriend Sandra Guerrero said she last saw him Sunday night after he finished a shift at Amazon and planned extra hours delivering for Uber Eats, and she told investigators, "I didn’t get any texts or call from him until his mom reached out to me at seven in the morning, saying, you know, he had passed away." Guerrero added, "Today, it’s my son’s birthday. We had the whole day planned out ... I can’t believe it right now." Neighbor Alexander Redd noted the late-night deliveries common around the hospital and said, "He was just doing his job. He didn't deserve that at all."

The Cook County medical examiner identified the victim as Daniel L. Figueroa and said an autopsy was pending. Loretto Hospital spokesperson Emerald-Jane Hunter issued condolences and said the hospital is cooperating with police: "On behalf of Loretto Hospital, our prayers and condolences go out to the individual's family and loved ones. Our focus remains on supporting the safety, health, and well-being of the community we serve during this difficult time."

Legal and insurance experts say questions about compensation for a delivery driver killed while working can be complex. A legal advisory included in reporting materials notes that, under state law and company policies cited by advisers, Uber provides certain auto liability protections for drivers logged into the app and greater coverage when a driver is en route to pick up or drop off a delivery, but those details and their application to this case would have to be confirmed with the company and insurers. Prosecutors are expected to present charging paperwork at the upcoming detention hearing while the Cook County medical examiner completes the autopsy.