A 69-year-old man has died following what police have described as a '100% freak accident' at a McDonald's drive-thru in the United States.
Tragedy at the Payment Window
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning at a McDonald's branch in the town of Grand Island, Nebraska. The local man, identified as Michael Dickinson, 69, became trapped between his vehicle and the restaurant's drive-thru payment window.
Emergency services were called to the scene just before 10:30am. Despite efforts to free him, Mr. Dickinson was pronounced dead after being transported to the nearby CHI St. Francis emergency room.
How the Fatal Accident Unfolded
According to Grand Island Police Division Chief Dean Elliott, the preliminary investigation suggests Mr. Dickinson opened his car door to reach further out of the window while making a payment. 'It appears the deceased opened the door to further reach out the window for payment purposes,' Elliott stated.
'We're not sure if the vehicle lurched forward or what happened, but he got pinched between the door frame and the drive-thru window counter,' the Chief added, emphasising the unusual nature of the event.
In a brave attempt to assist, a McDonald's employee tried to help by climbing through the passenger side of the vehicle. The employee sustained injuries during this attempt and was taken to hospital by ambulance. Authorities have confirmed the employee is expected to make a full recovery.
Scene Cleared and Recent Close Call
Though the police investigation remains ongoing, the scene was cleared approximately two hours after the tragic event. The drive-thru lane at the restaurant reopened for business later that same day.
This fatal accident follows another recent near-miss in Nebraska. In September, surveillance footage from a gas station in the small town of Brady captured a man, Brady Johnson, miraculously sidestepping a speeding car that flipped and crashed towards him as he cleaned his windshield.
In that incident, Johnson suffered only a minor leg injury, which he reportedly felt after the adrenaline from the crash subsided. The driver of the out-of-control Nissan Altima was also hospitalised with minor injuries.
The contrasting outcomes of these two events in Nebraska highlight the unpredictable and often tragic nature of roadside accidents.
