The incident began on a seemingly ordinary Saturday evening in the Brentwood neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida. Ethan Farrell, a local DoorDash delivery driver, recounted to First Coast News the startling sequence of events. While he briefly stepped away to complete a food delivery, his car was swiftly stolen, leaving him in disbelief.

“It’s baffling to think this could happen to me while simply trying to earn a bit of extra cash delivering food,” Farrell expressed, reflecting on the ordeal that thrust his vehicle into a criminal saga. “To have my car stolen and then used in a crime was both shocking and frustrating.”

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detailed how the stolen car, now a fugitive vehicle, was involved in a high-stakes chase through the city. The pursuit culminated on Moncrief Road near 21st Street West, where the driver, in a desperate attempt to evade capture, collided with a patrol car before crashing into a store.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, people in a reportedly stolen car led officers on a chase that ended on Moncrief Road near 21st Street West. Police say the driver slammed into a patrol vehicle, then crashed into a storefront.

Farrell says that stolen vehicle was his.

“I went around to the back to deliver the order, ’cause that’s what the specific location said — they said they couldn’t come through the front door,” he said. “When I came back around, that’s when I noticed my vehicle was gone.”

When he went to the impound lot Monday morning, Farrell says the damage was far worse than he expected.

“It’s pretty much totaled. The only real issue is a lot of bodywork. The front bumper is gone. The driver’s side is pretty banged up, the passenger side is dented, and both doors are damaged,” said Farrell.

Police say several people were inside the vehicle when it crashed. Two stayed at the scene while others ran, including one teenager who was shot by an officer after allegedly ignoring commands. The teen underwent surgery and is recovering in a local hospital.

“The fact that a police cruiser got hit is just reckless to me,” said Farrell.

Now, he’s left without a car and unsure how he’ll cover the repair and impound costs.

“What I’ve learned from this situation is to turn my car off, especially if I’m just DoorDashing,” said Farrell. “I was thinking I’d just deliver food and come back — but you can’t do that at all. Even if it’s quick, somebody will run in there and take it.” said Farrell.

JSO says several other suspects involved in the crash have been detained, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Farrell has since launched a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of repairing his car, which he says is “pretty much totaled” after the chase.