Man Dies After Being Pinned by His Car at a McDonald’s Drive-Thru in ‘Freak Accident’

A 69-year-old Nebraska man died after a serious incident in a McDonald’s drive-thru that local authorities have reportedly described as a “freak accident.”

In a news release, the Grand Island Police said the victim, identified as Michael Dickinson, “has died from his injuries after being pinned between his vehicle and a building in the drive-thru lane of McDonald’s located at 1317 W. 2nd St.” The incident happened Tuesday, Dec. 23.

Police said they were dispatched at 10:23 a.m. and, upon arrival, found Dickinson trapped between his vehicle and the east side of the building.

Investigators initially determined Dickinson was the only person in the vehicle and the only one who sustained fatal injuries.

Grand Island Police Division Chief Dean Elliott described the incident as “100% a freak accident,” according to NBC affiliate KSNB.

“It appears the deceased opened the door to further reach out the window for payment purposes,” Elliott told the outlet. “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.”

Dickinson was taken to the Emergency Department at CHI Health St. Francis, where he was pronounced dead, police said. They added that his next of kin had been notified.

Elliott also told KSNB that a McDonald’s employee was injured while attempting to help by approaching through the passenger side of the car. That employee was transported to a hospital.

KSNB reported that the department’s Accident Reconstruction Team is assisting and the investigation remains ongoing.

Separately, a similar drive-thru death occurred in 2021, when Tony Eyles, 42, of Vancouver, British Columbia, was killed by his own vehicle at a McDonald’s.

Authorities said surveillance footage showed Eyles dropped his bank card, got out to retrieve it, and his vehicle—still moving—rolled forward, trapping him between the open door and a structural part of the restaurant.