Buzz
Long before services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub took over, pizza chains were the original pioneers of delivery. Whether it was a scorching hot day when you couldn't bear to cook, or a Friday night when the week's chaos had left you drained, you didn't need an app or even the internet. A simple phone call was all it took to get a steaming pizza—pepperoni, combo, or even the controversial Hawaiian—delivered right to your doorstep.
The ten stories featured here are a blend of tragedy, bad luck, and a bit of humor, but they share a common thread: they are all examples of pizza deliveries that went disastrously wrong.
10. William Fields
William Fields, known as 'Billy' to friends and family, was a beloved figure in Connersville, Indiana. For nearly 30 years, he worked as a delivery driver for Pizza King, earning a reputation as one of their most reliable drivers. But he could never have foreseen that the seemingly ordinary delivery he made on November 27, 2021, would be the last one of his career—and his life.
As Fields made his way to the house and stepped onto the porch to deliver the pizza, the porch suddenly gave way, causing him to fall and become unconscious, trapped under the rubble. Emergency teams rushed to the scene, and despite their best attempts to revive him, they were unable to save him. Fields was later pronounced dead at Reid-Health Connersville Hospital. While the cause of the porch's collapse remains unclear, authorities concluded it was an accident and no charges were filed.
9. Joshua Ungersma
Joshua Ungersma, a 37-year-old father from Lafayette, Indiana, was known for his hard work and commitment to his family. After working for Payless Supermarkets for over a decade, he took on a second-shift job as a pizza delivery driver with Domino’s to support his wife and kids during the pandemic. Tragically, his dedication to his family would ultimately cost him his life.
On August 31, 2020, while delivering a pizza to 17-year-old Jaelynn Billups and her 19-year-old boyfriend Alberto Vanmeter, Ungersma's routine delivery took a fatal turn. He was shot and killed. When police arrived, they found Ungersma and Vanmeter already dead, with Billups holding a 9mm handgun.
Billups initially claimed that the two men had shot each other, but two witnesses later testified that they saw Billups shoot Ungersma after he stated that the couple had attempted to rob him and asked them to call for help. By then, Vanmeter had already been shot. Billups later admitted she shot Ungersma 'in the heat of the moment' after he had killed her boyfriend. She was sentenced to 50 years in prison. While the full details of the tragic events may never be fully known, one thing is certain—a devoted father and husband lost his life far too early, all over a simple pizza order.
8. Kyle Hinkle
Eighteen-year-old Kyle Hinkle from Orange Park, Florida, worked as a delivery driver for Five Star Pizza. After completing his scheduled delivery on the afternoon of September 5, 2015, he thought it was just another ordinary day at work. Little did he know, the events that unfolded on his drive home would be ones he would never forget.
As Hinkle drove away from the customer’s house, an 86-year-old man suddenly turned right into his path. Hinkle attempted to dodge the elderly driver, but it was too late. His car was sent airborne, landing on top of two parked vehicles across the street from a Texas Roadhouse. Despite the terrifying nature of the incident, both drivers were thankfully unharmed.
7. Eryx Lynch
Eryx Lynch, a 20-year-old from Murray, Utah, was a reserved young man who had faced a difficult childhood. Despite his challenges, Lynch had lofty ambitions and took a job delivering pizza for Domino’s in May 2022 to help fund his college education. Unfortunately, just one week into the job, a single misjudgment would prove fatal.
On the evening of May 7, 2022, while riding his e-bike to make a delivery, Lynch tried to cross train tracks, even though the gate arm was lowered. As he attempted to pass, he was struck by an oncoming train. Though Domino’s abandoned its '30 minutes or less' delivery guarantee back in 1993, the reasons behind Lynch’s decision to take such a dangerous risk remain unclear. His sudden death left an irreplaceable void in his family’s lives.
6. Cole Venables
Twenty-eight-year-old Cole Venables worked as a pizza delivery driver in Hopkins, Minnesota. On the evening of April 9, 2021, while on his way to make a delivery, Venables struck and killed 26-year-old Olivia DeMeuse after reportedly 'falling asleep' at the wheel. However, DeMeuse’s tragic death was far from an accident.
Authorities determined that Venables was under the influence of narcotics and he confessed to having taken 'Xanax, Suboxone, and benzos' before starting his shift. It was later revealed that Venables had previous convictions for driving under the influence, leaving questions about how he was allowed to drive for the pizza chain. On February 24, 2022, Venables pled guilty to criminal vehicular homicide and was sentenced to one year at the Hennepin County Workhouse (with 92 days credited for time already served) and five years of probation.
5. Highway Pizza
We’ve all heard the phrase 'It’s not delivery. It’s DiGiorno,' right? Well, in this instance of a pizza delivery gone wrong, the story is more like, 'It’s not delivery... it’s a pizza spill all over Interstate 30.' On August 9, 2017, a semi-truck carrying DiGiorno and Tombstone pizzas was traveling through Little Rock, Arkansas. Unfortunately, the top of the trailer collided with an overpass, causing it to detach and spill pizzas all over the highway.
Though it took transportation officials four hours to clean up the mess, thankfully no one, aside from the pizzas, was injured in the incident.
4. Juan Cristalinas
Though 49-year-old Juan Cristalinas had a tough exterior, he was, in truth, a warm-hearted husband, father, and grandfather. His generous nature would ultimately lead him to a tragic fate when one act of kindness turned violent.
Cristalinas worked multiple jobs, including as a mechanic and a pizza delivery driver for Domino’s, to support his family. However, on the evening of June 28, 2022, when Cristalinas didn’t return from a delivery in Stanton, California, police were dispatched to the location. There, they discovered Cristalinas and an unnamed elderly man, both having been shot. Cristalinas later succumbed to his injuries, while the 76-year-old man was stable. The investigation into the events of that fateful night is still ongoing, but authorities believe Cristalinas was shot while attempting to assist the elderly man in an act of kindness.
3. Au Naturel Pizza Customer
On March 20, 2019, a female Domino’s delivery driver was completing what seemed like a routine delivery. Upon arriving at the customer’s home, the man was waiting outside, and the food was handed over without incident. However, the customer soon became overly interested in the driver, engaging in flirtatious behavior. Later that day, he placed a second order.
When the driver arrived at the customer’s home a second time, the man greeted her at the door. But this time, she was met with a shocking sight—he was 'almost naked.' The indecent man attempted to lure her inside, but the driver quickly left, refusing to stay in the presence of this unsettling behavior.
2. Pizza Hut Driver
On the night of January 21, 2020, an unidentified Pizza Hut driver was making his final delivery when he witnessed an accident and decided to stop to check on those involved. Little did he know, this act of kindness would soon turn into a high-speed police chase.
Upon seeing 25-year-old Elpidio Cruz Jr. and a two-year-old boy on the side of the road, the driver pulled over to make sure they were alright. Just as an officer arrived at the scene, Cruz pulled out a gun, climbed into the driver’s backseat with the young child, and forced the driver to flee the scene in a terrifying turn of events.
Cruz, who was on parole and desperate to avoid returning to prison, ordered the driver to evade capture at all costs. The 20-minute chase finally came to an end at the home of 23-year-old Brena Riojas, the mother of the young boy. Cruz fled the scene once more and remains a wanted fugitive. Though the driver was unharmed, this horrifying pizza delivery experience will undoubtedly haunt him for the rest of his life.
1. Tara Miller
On May 29, 2021, Tara Miller, a long-time customer of her local Domino’s in Regina, Saskatchewan, decided to satisfy her craving for pizza. She placed her usual order, and the pizza was delivered without issue. After spending the afternoon enjoying the pizza with friends, it wasn’t until later that day, once her company had left, that Miller fully understood the true cost of that meal.
When Miller checked her bank account, she was horrified to find that every penny was gone. Desperate for answers, she visited the Domino’s store in person, hoping to resolve the situation. However, the staff informed her that, according to their records, her order was marked as a pick-up, not a delivery. Frustrated and upset, Miller insisted that she had indeed placed a delivery order. It was later revealed that a man had come in and collected her order without her knowledge, and he was also the same person who later delivered the pizza to her.
It turned out that fraudsters had been posing as Domino’s employees. While delivering orders, they were also collecting customers' financial details when payments were made via credit or debit card. Unfortunately, Miller wasn’t the only one in the area to fall victim to this scam.
Fortunately, Miller was reimbursed by her bank for the fraud, and the Domino’s manager helped gather evidence to support the police investigation, hoping to catch the scammer. This unsettling experience will certainly change how Miller looks at pizza orders from now on.
