A 69-year-old man died in a freak accident in a Nebraska McDonald’s drive-thru.
Michael Dickinsin was out grabbing breakfast on Tuesday morning at McDonald’s, Grand Island, when he got stuck between his car door and the building, which caused severe injuries.
From the police investigation, it is speculated that he opened the door to reach the window. Either he was grabbing something or paying for his food. The vehicle may have moved forward on its own or may have been the manual error.
But Dickinsin got stuck between the door and the window counter. According to the Mirror, the police stated he was the only one in the car and suffered fatal injuries. Police Division Chief Dean Elliott mentioned that the fast food employee came to help the man by entering through the passenger side of the car. He was taken to the hospital, but his injuries were too severe and caused a lot of blood loss.
TRAGIC 💔 McDonald’s customer dies in ‘freak accident’ while paying bill in drive thru https://t.co/hdzMc0TEnH pic.twitter.com/VH5jyQgHmD
— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) December 25, 2025
The Accident Reconstruction Team assisted in the investigation to figure out the possible scenerio of the accident. The police revealed there was no foul play in the incident, and it was just an unfortunate incident that no one could have predicted.
The local community has been deeply affected by the news. One user on Instagram commented under the news, “That’s some final destination thing, good on the McDonald’s workers, they were brave and kind.”
The accident is similar to what happened in the movie. An unfortunate series of events leads up to the deaths of the characters. Another user commented, “Yes, I live close (hour drive) and from what witnesses say is that his arm was actually ripped off, which resulted in severe blood loss.”
CRUSHED AT MCDONALD’S: A 69-year-old Nebraska man was pinned to death by his own car door while paying for breakfast. No other cars involved—just a brutal “freak accident” that turned a drive-thru into a morgue. 🍔💀 #McDonalds #FatalAccident pic.twitter.com/6hXgIiGGyx
— MetroScroll (@MetroScrol) December 26, 2025
Dickinson was a loved grandfather who suffered a tragic death. According to his daughter, his right leg was amputated in 2021. He bravely learnt how to walk again using a prosthetic. The death has left the family grieving during the Christmas season.
One relative wrote for him, “A skilled and hardworking mechanic, Michael took pride in his work and had a gift for fixing what was broken. It reflected who he was – reliable, practical, and dedicated.” They said he always helped when it mattered the most.
