10 Mind-Blowing Incidents and Strange Finds in the Drive-Thru

Nowadays, it seems you can find a drive-thru almost anywhere you go: banks, fast food restaurants, pharmacies, and even drive-thru wedding chapels! As the hustle and bustle of life becomes even more demanding, these drive-thru options offer the convenience of grabbing some much-needed cash, a bite to eat, or a prescription at a moment’s notice without ever having to step foot outside our vehicle.

While these options are certainly a time saver, human error does occur, especially with a greater number of people choosing to utilize these services on a daily basis. Unfortunately, this can lead to long waits in the drive-thru line, order mistakes, and growing frustration. Although many of us have encountered these types of situations and delays, the stories on this list took a much more peculiar turn.

Here are ten stories of mind-blowing incidents and strange finds straight from the drive-thru lane.

Related: 10 Bizarre Events Involving Prosthetics and the Police

10 Real-Life Weekend at Bernie’s

Eighty-year-old Douglas Layman, his girlfriend, 63-year-old Karen Casbohm, and 55-year-old Loreen Bea Feralo all lived together in Layman’s Ashtabula, Ohia, home. Unfortunately, on the afternoon of March 4, 2024, Casbohm and Feralo stated they found Layman dead inside the home. However, rather than calling the police or an ambulance, the two women devised a bizarre plan that seemingly came straight out of the 1989 film Weekend at Bernie’s.

Given that Casbohm was in a wheelchair and Feralo was unable to lift Layman, the two decided to call a friend—38-year-old Justin Wayne Kelly—to assist them in moving Layman’s body from inside the house to his car. From there, Casbohm and Feralo “propped up” Layman in the passenger seat of his car and drove the elderly man’s body to a bank with a drive-thru window, ensuring the bank tellers saw Layman with them. Casbohm and Feralo then proceeded to withdraw $900 from Layman’s account, something the bank had previously allowed the pair to do as long as they were accompanied by Layman. However, this was not the end of this bizarre story.

After the bank run, Casbohm and Feralo dumped Layman at the emergency room of Cleveland Clinic’s Ashtabula Medical Center and drove off without providing any information about Layman or themselves to the hospital staff. It was the hospital staff who then contacted the police.

Perhaps their guilt began to get to them because a few hours later, one of the women called the hospital with information on the deceased. By that time, Casbohm and Feralo were already back at Layman’s house.

When officers from the Ashtabula Police Department arrived at Layman’s home, they interviewed Casbohm and Feralo, and the two women told the officers what had transpired that day. Casbohm and Feralo were both arrested and charged with gross abuse of a corpse and theft. Further investigation also led authorities to Kelly, who was also arrested for his bizarre role. Kelly was charged with abuse of a corpse.

Casbohm was sentenced to 17 months in jail, and Feralo was sentenced to 15 months. Officials stated Layman’s cause of death was pending and under investigation.^[1]

9 Snappy Starbucks Customer

On the morning of May 4, 2024, customers waiting in line at a Starbucks in North Port, Florida, received a different kind of jolt after spotting a 5-foot (1.5-meter) alligator waiting for its morning caffeine fix in the drive-thru line.

The North Port Fire Rescue’s District Chief, Dave Ingalls, stated that the crew was “washing the trucks and doing our morning duties when we heard someone yelling for us at Starbucks.” Thankfully, the coffee shop happened to be right in front of the fire station.

With help from the North Port Police Department, fire crews were able to safely relocate the alligator to a nearby pond, putting the reptile’s surprise Starbucks run to a sudden end.^[2]

8 Taco Bell Heroine

On April 13, 2024, Natasha Long picked up a prescription at a local pharmacy in Richboro, Pennsylvania. Then she decided to stop at a Taco Bell to get something to eat. However, as Long pulled into the drive-thru, she heard her 11-week-old son, Myles, struggling to breathe.

Long immediately got out of the car to check on him, but unfortunately, she was faced with a parent’s worst nightmare. Baby Myles was completely blue and lifeless. Not knowing what to do, Long began screaming in panic, “Call 911; the baby isn’t breathing!”

Thankfully, Long’s cries for help were heard by Taco Bell Manager Becky Arbaugh, who threw her headset, ran outside, and began doing chest compressions on the infant until baby Myles finally started to breathe. Arbaugh also comforted Long, instructing her on what to do as they waited for the ambulance to arrive. Baby Myles was then taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, although it is not clear what caused the infant’s difficulty breathing.

Nonetheless, Long was incredibly grateful for Arbaugh’s heroic actions, referring to her as a “guardian angel.” Arbaugh, on the other hand, said she’s no hero. Arbaugh did, however, have a similar incident with one of her own children. When Arbaugh’s daughter was little, she suffered from occasional seizures and would stop breathing, which not only prepared Arbaugh for this crisis but also helped her stay calm.

Since the scary incident occurred, Long and Arbaugh have been in contact daily and have become friends on Facebook. Arbaugh even offered to sit in the hospital with baby Myles so that his parents could have time to themselves. While the whole incident lasted only a few moments, it has forever cemented a bond between the two, one that will certainly withstand the test of time.^[3]

7 Mickey D’s Munchies

Have you ever been in the drive-thru, only to realize perhaps you forgot your wallet or are short on cash? That can be a terrifying scenario. The last thing any of us want to do is to hold up the line, so we begin frantically searching through our vehicle for spare change or hidden money we might have stashed somewhere long ago.

But what happens if all else fails and you cannot find enough to pay for your order? Do you ask the employee to cancel your order and simply pull out of line? Or would you get creative and think of offering something in exchange? While many of us wouldn’t think to utilize the bartering system, one young man in Florida offered quite the peculiar trade in exchange for some late-night munchies.

Around 2 a.m. on December 16, 2018, 23-year-old Anthony Andrew Gallagher pulled his Pontiac into the drive-thru of a McDonald’s in Port St. Lucie, Florida. However, as Gallagher drove up to the window to pay, rather than handing the McDonald’s employee cash or a debit card, he tried to “exchange a baggie of marijuana for food.” The McDonald’s employee apparently wasn’t lovin’ it and denied Gallagher’s trade. Gallagher then drove off.

When the police were alerted about Gallagher’s offer, they arrived at the fast food location and took a report but also decided to remain nearby.

Just as the police suspected, apparently, Gallagher still had the munchies because he returned to the drive-thru a short time later. As police approached Gallagher, they “noticed a heavy odor of marijuana emitting from the car.” They also found 11 grams of marijuana inside Gallagher’s car. While Gallagher admitted to offering the food-for-marijuana barter, he claimed he did so as a joke. Gallagher was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and driving under the influence.^[4]

6 “America Runs on Dunkin’”… and So Do Raccoons?

In April of 2006, Dunkin’ Donuts, now known as Dunkin’, launched a multi-million dollar campaign—”America Runs on Dunkin’”—focusing on how Dunkin’ Donuts kept busy Americans fueled on the go. However, it seems that not just humans but everyone runs on Dunkin’, raccoons included.

On May 7, 2023, TikTok user Samantha Jane Guptill captured the drive-thru adventures of a raccoon with a penchant for sweets on video, taking the internet by storm.

As Guptill was in the drive-thru lane at a Dunkin’ in Orange City, Florida, she noticed a raccoon skipping the drive-thru line and crossing in front of her car. Standing its ground, the raccoon then waited patiently at the drive-thru window, attempting to get a treat. Thankfully for the raccoon, its polite efforts did not go unnoticed.

It was then that a Dunkin’ clerk leaned down with a gloved hand, extending what appeared to be a vanilla-frosted doughnut. With its uber-dexterous fingers, the raccoon politely takes the doughnut into its little black paws before placing it into his mouth and scurrying away into a nearby bush to enjoy his treat in peace.

The video of the unbelievable drive-thru exchange has since gone viral, amassing more than 22 million views.^[5]

5 Drug Trafficking Drive-Thru

Pharmacy technicians work closely with pharmacists to ensure both the health and safety of their patients—locating, dispensing, packing, and labeling medication. While they also may perform a wide array of other tasks within the pharmacy, such as customer service and administrative functions, they are also required to uphold a set of strict ethical and legal standards. Unfortunately, one pharmacy technician in Kentucky seemingly blurred those lines and found herself on the wrong side of the law.

An internal investigation began at a Walgreens location in Louisville, Kentucky, after more than 21,000 Schedule II drug doses were discovered missing. Schedule II drugs are defined as drugs that have a high potential for abuse, such as Vicodin, Dilaudid, and OxyContin.

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that between May and August 2022, one of the pharmacy technicians—19-year-old Mellany Rodriguez—was seen on security footage deleting prescriptions that had already been filled from the pharmacy’s computer and then handing them out to people in the Walgreens drive-thru who didn’t order them. Based on the information from the surveillance footage and deletion reports, it is believed that Rodriguez is responsible for approximately 3,060 missing doses from the pharmacy, totaling $5,421.60. However, it is unclear what happened to the other 18,000 doses.

Rodriguez was arrested on December 18, 2023, and was charged with unlawful access to a computer, theft by unlawful taking or disposition of a controlled substance, trafficking of a controlled substance, and criminal falsification of medical records.^[6]

4 “If I Can’t Have Her, No One Can”

On October 5, 2020, 47-year-old William Tollard of Port Charlotte, Florida, pulled directly behind 40-year-old Angela Zeigler in the BB&T Bank drive-up teller line in Venice, Florida, trapping her Jeep between his truck and a work van directly in front of the teller window. Tollard then parked his truck and walked to the driver’s side of Zeigler’s Jeep. The pair spoke for a few moments. Unfortunately, this was not your typical exchange of pleasantries among friends or acquaintances, but instead, a brutal murder that was about to unfold.

Tollard then fired three close-range gunshots directly at Zeigler before walking to the passenger’s side and firing two additional shots at her. Zeigler’s Jeep then rolled forward approximately 300 feet (100 yards), crashing into a light pole in the bank’s parking lot. However, Tollard’s rampage wasn’t over. From there, Tollard fired more bullets into the front windshield of Zeigler’s Jeep as he screamed, “Who the (expletive) do you think you are? You can’t (expletive) do this to me,” all of which was captured on camera by the bank’s surveillance system. Sadly, Zeigler died at the scene.

Tollard fled the bank in his pickup truck but was found on foot shortly after that and taken into custody. Detectives later found a semi-automatic firearm, a magazine containing 8 rounds, and a pair of binoculars on the front passenger’s seat of Tollard’s truck. Tollard was charged with murder.

So, what exactly happened that led Tollard to go on such a rampage and brutally slay Zeigler? According to the arrest report, Tollard and Zeigler knew each other but didn’t specify their relationship, citing Marsy’s law—an amendment to the Florida Constitution that adds specific rights and protections for crime victims and their families. However, it also seems that there were two very different sides to this story.

Tollard and Ziegler both worked in real estate. According to Zeigler’s estranged husband, John, “for an undetermined period prior to October 5, 2020, Tollard made inappropriate advances toward Ziegler” even after she told him to stop. However, according to investigators, Tollard and Zeigler had a “tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship that spanned approximately 18 months before Zeigler broke things off on September 5, 2020, just five days before her murder.

John went on to file a civil lawsuit against Tollard on January 11, 2021, for $100,000 for Zeigler’s wrongful death. On November 17, 2023, Tollard was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison.^[7]

3 Going to Great Lengths For a Cheeseburger

On April 9, 2017, East Palestine police officer Jacob Koehler got a call on the radio after witnesses saw an eight-year-old boy driving his father’s work van effortlessly through the downtown area of East Palestine, Ohio.

Despite the obvious safety concerns, the boy drove approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km), covering four intersections, railway tracks, and several turns but obeyed all traffic laws—driving the speed limit, stopping properly at red lights, and waiting for traffic to pass—before turning into the parking lot of the only McDonald’s in town. The young boy, however, was not alone and had also brought his four-year-old sister along for the ride.

Once he got to the McDonald’s drive-thru, the boy ordered a cheeseburger and tried to pay with money from his piggy bank. Naturally, upon seeing the young boy pull up to the window, the McDonald’s workers assumed they were being pranked and that perhaps the parents were in the back seat of the van. Little did they know that the children’s parents were at home.

Shortly after that, Koehler pulled into the McDonald’s and found the boy still behind the wheel. After being approached by police, the boy reportedly burst into tears, immediately realizing he had done something wrong. The boy then told Koehler that he and his sister just really wanted a cheeseburger. Apparently overwhelmed by the craving, the boy stood on his tip-toes in order to get his father’s keys after his mother and father had fallen asleep. Even more astounding, the boy told Koehler that he learned to drive by watching YouTube videos.

The children’s joyride, however, did end on a happy note. They both got to enjoy their cheeseburger, fries, and chicken nuggets before Koehler took them to the police station and waited for their parents to pick them up. While they certainly may have been in some trouble at home, no charges were filed.^[8]

2 Barista Nearly Kidnapped When Handing Customer Change

Beankini Espresso is a female-owned coffee drive-thru in Auburn, Washington, where the baristas serve the drinks in lingerie and bikinis. Although the baristas take extensive security measures—having mace, tasers, silent panic buttons, and metal doors—one barista, despite working at the coffee shop for 15 years, found herself in a terrifying situation.

Around 5 a.m. on January 16, 2023, 38-year-old Matthew Darnell visited the coffee stand and ordered a drink. After Darnell paid at the window, he asked an unnamed barista for change for a $5 bill so he could leave a tip. However, when the barista handed him five $1 bills, Darnell yanked at her right wrist. After failing to grab the woman, Darnell attempted to throw a zip tie over the woman’s head and pull her through the drive-thru window into his pickup truck. Thankfully, the barista managed to slip out of Darnell’s grip, close the window, and call the police.

Due to an “overwhelming” public response to the video surveillance released by the Auburn Police Department, along with traffic surveillance videos and a distinctive “Chevrolet” tattoo on his arm, Darnell was arrested at his home on January 17, 2023.

Darnell was initially charged with attempted kidnapping but accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to a charge of felony harassment. On August 25, 2023, Darnell was sentenced to 50 days in jail. With 220 days of credit for time served, this ultimately resulted in his release. Upon his release, Darnell agreed to 12 months of supervision with the Department of Corrections and also now has a lifetime protection order from the victim, meaning that he will be arrested if he has any contact with her.^[9]

1 Wedding Bells

When Bradley Gray proposed to Teresa Clark in October 2019, the couple began planning their dream destination wedding. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple was forced to cancel their wedding in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Despite the setback, Bradley and Teresa still managed to find a way to make their day special, even if it wasn’t a “traditional” wedding.

On April 16, 2020, rather than exchanging vows on the beach, the couple said “I Do” at the Bar Harbor Bank in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Teresa walked up to the drive-thru window with her son, meeting Bradley in front of the teller at the bank. The bank manager then performed the ceremony from behind the glass. Friends, family, and neighbors (including those from out of state) were able to celebrate from a safe distance, with some in their cars and others joining in the nuptials via Zoom.

While the Grays said it wasn’t their “dream wedding,” they were still happy to be married in their hometown. It was definitely a celebration they will never forget.^[10]

fact checked by
Darci Heikkinen