A truly unfortunate freak accident took place in Vancouver, Canada recently when a man was crushed by his own car at the drive-thru of a McDonald's restaurant.
Discover our latest podcast
Unfortunate timing
At 5:30 in the morning, the man stopped by the popular fast food restaurant to order a breakfast meal on Main Street and Terminal Avenue. As he was getting ready to pay at the payment counter, he dropped his card on the pavement below before getting out of the vehicle to retrieve his card.
It was at that moment that the car rolled forward and went over the top of him pinning him to the ground and ultimately squeezing him in between the car door and a structural piece of the restaurant. Constable Tania Visintin said in a statement:
Efforts were made by first responders to revive the man, but tragically, he died on scene. This is an absolutely heartbreaking scenario. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of this man.
The police department's Collision Investigation Unit and British Columbia Coroner Services have launched an investigation and are asking anyone who was present at the time to come forward to give a testimony.
Traumatizing events for staff
Since the tragic event, staff members who witnessed the freak accident are receiving psychological support through the company's Employee Assistance Program. Constable Tania Visintin said:
People aren't used to seeing this type of incident happen, especially at your workplace. I would assume everyone is shaken up. Usually when we hear about a fatal motor vehicle accident it [is] usually, typically a crash with another vehicle. So the fact that no other vehicle was involved... this seems like a freak accident.
