‘Freak accident’: Man dies in McDonald’s drive thru

Picture of McDonalds golden arches logo.

A McDonald’s logo is shown at a restaurant in Warren, Mich., Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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(NewsNation) — A 69-year-old Nebraska man died after being pinned between his vehicle and a building in a McDonald’s drive-thru lane, Grand Island Police said in a news release.

Grand Island Police and Fire Departments dispatched to the restaurant and found a person trapped between the vehicle and the side of the building.

The victim was identified as Michael Dickinson of Grand Island, Nebraska. Police said he was the only person inside the vehicle.

The incident remains under investigation, but the police chief has called it a “freak accident.”

“It appears the deceased opened the door to further reach out the window for payment purposes,” Grand Island Police Division Chief Dean Elliott told local outlet KSNB. “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.”

A McDonald’s employee, the police chief said, was also hurt when attempting to help through the passenger side. The employee was taken by ambulance but is expected to be OK.

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