A McDonald’s customer was tragically killed Wednesday after a freak accident unfolded at a franchise’s drive-through window in Vancouver, Canada, Huff Post reported.
What are the details?
Local authorities said that the accident took place when male victim reportedly opened his door to retrieve his debit card after dropping it from his car window while attempting to pay.
Canada’s Global News reported that the victim, Tony Eyles, was a husband and father of two young children, just 6 and 8 years old, and was an elevator technician before his untimely death.
The outlet noted that as Eyles opened the door to his vehicle and leaned out, the car rolled forward, pinning him between the door and the car frame, killing him on the scene.
In a news release detailing the tragedy, Police Constable Tania Visintin said, “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.”
Visintin added, “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 involved … this seems like a freak accident.”
Eyles’ brother-in-law, Neal Pender, told the Global Times, “He knew a lot of people, he touched a lot of people. But his life was cut so short that people should understand how much of a loss this is, not just for us, but for his family, friends, co-workers, everyone. My sister is devastated, they were best friends, they had an absolutely amazing marriage. It’s tough to even look at her, she is such a happy person and he was such a spark in her life.”
“Everyone is just devastated,” he added. “He was a family man, he did everything he could to provide for his kids and my sister, but that’s not where it stopped. He did everything to please everybody else. He was the kind of guy who could go into a room and make everybody feel comfortable. … He’s somebody you could look up to, and I certainly did.”
A GoFundMe page set to benefit the family has received more than $52,000 in donations at the time of this reporting.
“His kids idolized their dad,” Pender added. “For my sister, he was her best friend, their main support system, it’s heartbreaking.”