Buzz
These days, drive-thrus seem to be everywhere: from banks to fast food joints, pharmacies, and even drive-thru wedding chapels! As life gets busier, these convenient drive-thru services allow us to grab cash, food, or medicine without ever having to leave our cars.
Although these services save time, human mistakes can still happen, especially as more people rely on them daily. Unfortunately, this can lead to longer waits, order errors, and mounting frustration. While many of us have experienced such delays, the stories featured here took a much stranger turn.
Here are ten incredible tales of unusual incidents and surprising discoveries straight from the drive-thru.
10. A Real-Life Weekend at Bernie’s
Eighty-year-old Douglas Layman, his 63-year-old girlfriend Karen Casbohm, and 55-year-old Loreen Bea Feralo all lived together in Layman’s home in Ashtabula, Ohio. Unfortunately, on the afternoon of March 4, 2024, Casbohm and Feralo discovered Layman dead inside the house. Instead of contacting the police or an ambulance, the two women hatched a strange plan that seemed to have been inspired by the 1989 film Weekend at Bernie’s.
Since Casbohm was in a wheelchair and Feralo couldn’t lift Layman, they called a friend, 38-year-old Justin Wayne Kelly, for help in moving Layman’s body from the house to his car. They then positioned Layman in the passenger seat of the car and drove his body to a bank with a drive-thru window, making sure the tellers could see Layman with them. Afterward, Casbohm and Feralo withdrew $900 from Layman’s account, a transaction the bank had previously allowed them to do as long as Layman was present with them. But this wasn’t the end of the odd tale.
After their visit to the bank, Casbohm and Feralo left Layman’s body at the emergency room of Cleveland Clinic’s Ashtabula Medical Center and drove away without giving any details about Layman or themselves to the hospital staff. It was the staff who then contacted the police.
Perhaps overwhelmed by guilt, a few hours later one of the women called the hospital to provide information about 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 house, they interviewed Casbohm and Feralo, who explained what had happened earlier that day. Both women were arrested and charged with gross abuse of a corpse and theft. The investigation also led to Kelly, who was arrested for his role in the bizarre incident and charged with abuse of a corpse.
Casbohm was given a 17-month jail sentence, while Feralo received 15 months. Officials revealed that Layman’s cause of death was still under investigation and pending further analysis.
9. The Quirky Starbucks Patron
On the morning of May 4, 2024, customers in line at a Starbucks in North Port, Florida, got a surprise when they noticed a 5-foot (1.5-meter) alligator waiting in the drive-thru line for its morning coffee.
Dave Ingalls, District Chief of the North Port Fire Rescue, shared that his team was “washing the trucks and doing our morning duties when we heard someone yelling for us at Starbucks.” Fortunately, the coffee shop was conveniently located right across from the fire station.
With assistance from the North Port Police Department, fire crews successfully relocated the alligator to a nearby pond, bringing the reptile’s unexpected Starbucks visit to a swift conclusion.
8. Taco Bell Savior
On April 13, 2024, Natasha Long picked up a prescription at a pharmacy in Richboro, Pennsylvania, and decided to grab a bite at Taco Bell. However, as Long pulled into the drive-thru, she heard her 11-week-old son, Myles, struggling to breathe.
Long quickly got out of the car to check on her baby, only to face a parent’s worst nightmare—baby Myles was unresponsive, his face blue and lifeless. Panicked, Long screamed, “Call 911; the baby isn’t breathing!”
Fortunately, Taco Bell Manager Becky Arbaugh heard Long’s distress and rushed outside, throwing off her headset. She began performing chest compressions on the infant until baby Myles finally started breathing. Arbaugh remained calm, comforting Long and guiding her on what to do as they awaited the ambulance. Baby Myles was then taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, though the cause of his breathing difficulty remained unclear.
Long expressed her deep gratitude for Arbaugh’s heroic actions, calling her a “guardian angel.” Arbaugh, however, humbly declined the title of hero. She shared that when her own daughter was young, she suffered from occasional seizures and would stop breathing, which not only helped prepare her for such a crisis but also kept her calm during the emergency.
7. Mickey D’s Late-Night Offerings
Have you ever found yourself in the drive-thru, only to realize you forgot your wallet or are a little short on cash? It’s a stressful situation. The last thing you want is to hold up the line, so you start searching your car desperately for spare change or any forgotten cash tucked away somewhere.
But what if, after all that frantic searching, you still can’t find enough to pay for your order? Do you ask the worker to cancel your order and drive off? Or do you get creative and offer something in exchange? While bartering isn’t something most of us would think of, one young man in Florida came up with a very unusual trade to get some late-night food.
At around 2 a.m. on December 16, 2018, 23-year-old Anthony Andrew Gallagher drove his Pontiac into the drive-thru at a McDonald’s in Port St. Lucie, Florida. When he reached the window, instead of handing over cash or a debit card, Gallagher tried to “trade a baggie of marijuana for food.” The McDonald’s employee wasn’t having it, though, and refused his offer. Gallagher simply drove away.
The police were notified of Gallagher’s unusual transaction offer, and they arrived at the fast food location, took a report, and decided to stay in the area to monitor the situation.
Just as the officers had suspected, Gallagher appeared to still have the munchies as he returned to the drive-thru shortly after. When police approached his car, they “noticed a strong smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle.” Upon further inspection, they discovered 11 grams of marijuana inside. Gallagher admitted to offering the food-for-marijuana deal but claimed it was all just a joke. He was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and driving under the influence.
6. “America Runs on Dunkin’”… and So Do Raccoons?
In April 2006, Dunkin’ Donuts, now simply known as Dunkin’, launched its multi-million dollar campaign—”America Runs on Dunkin’”—showing how it powered busy Americans on the go. However, it turns out Dunkin’ doesn’t just fuel humans, but raccoons as well.
On May 7, 2023, TikTok user Samantha Jane Guptill filmed the amusing drive-thru antics of a raccoon with a sweet tooth, which quickly went viral.
While waiting in line at a Dunkin’ in Orange City, Florida, Guptill saw a raccoon skipping the drive-thru queue and darting across in front of her car. The determined raccoon then stood its ground, waiting patiently at the drive-thru window, hoping for a treat. Fortunately for the clever critter, its polite persistence did not go unnoticed.
At that moment, a Dunkin' employee bent down, wearing a gloved hand, and offered what looked like a vanilla-frosted doughnut. With remarkable dexterity, the raccoon politely grasped the doughnut with its small black paws, popped it into its mouth, and quickly scurried off to a nearby bush to enjoy its snack in solitude.
The astonishing drive-thru interaction quickly became a sensation online, with the video amassing over 22 million views.
5. Drug Trafficking Drive-Thru
Pharmacy technicians play a critical role in collaborating with pharmacists to guarantee the health and safety of patients. Their tasks include locating, dispensing, packaging, and labeling medications, as well as customer service and administrative duties. These professionals are expected to uphold stringent ethical and legal standards. Unfortunately, one pharmacy technician in Kentucky crossed those boundaries and found herself entangled in criminal activity.
An internal investigation was launched at a Walgreens in Louisville, Kentucky, when over 21,000 doses of Schedule II drugs were reported missing. These drugs, like Vicodin, Dilaudid, and OxyContin, are classified due to their high potential for abuse.
During the investigation, it was revealed that between May and August of 2022, 19-year-old pharmacy technician Mellany Rodriguez was caught on security cameras erasing filled prescriptions from the pharmacy’s computer system. She then handed these prescriptions out to individuals in the Walgreens drive-thru who had not placed any orders. Surveillance footage and deletion logs suggest that Rodriguez is responsible for the theft of around 3,060 doses, amounting to $5,421.60. However, the fate of the remaining 18,000 doses remains unknown.
Rodriguez was taken into custody on December 18, 2023, and faces charges including unlawful access to a computer, theft of controlled substances, trafficking of controlled substances, and falsification of medical records.
4. “If I Can’t Have Her, No One Can”
On October 5, 2020, 47-year-old William Tollard from Port Charlotte, Florida, found himself in a tense confrontation with 40-year-old Angela Zeigler at the BB&T Bank drive-thru in Venice, Florida. Tollard parked his truck directly behind Zeigler’s Jeep, blocking her in, and then walked up to her driver’s side window. What began as a brief conversation quickly escalated into a shocking act of violence.
Without warning, Tollard fired three shots at Zeigler from close range, then walked around to the passenger side and shot her two more times. Zeigler’s Jeep, after being struck, rolled about 300 feet before colliding with a light pole in the bank’s parking lot. But Tollard’s attack didn’t end there—he shot at the front windshield of Zeigler’s Jeep while shouting, “Who the (expletive) do you think you are? You can’t (expletive) do this to me,” all of which was caught on the bank’s security cameras. Zeigler tragically succumbed to her injuries at the scene.
After fleeing the scene of the murder, Tollard was soon found on foot and arrested. Detectives discovered a semi-automatic weapon, a magazine with 8 rounds, and a set of binoculars on the passenger seat of his truck. Tollard was charged with murder.
What could have possibly triggered Tollard to commit such a brutal act? According to the arrest report, Tollard and Zeigler were familiar with each other, although their exact relationship was not disclosed due to Marsy’s Law, a provision in the Florida Constitution that ensures certain rights for victims of crimes and their families. Nonetheless, there appear to be two contrasting accounts of the situation.
Both Tollard and Zeigler worked in real estate. Zeigler’s estranged husband, John, revealed that Tollard had made several unwanted advances toward his wife, even after she had asked him to stop. Investigators noted that Tollard and Zeigler shared a turbulent on-again, off-again relationship for roughly 18 months, which ended when Zeigler broke things off on September 5, 2020, just five days before her tragic death.
John filed a civil lawsuit against Tollard for wrongful death on January 11, 2021, seeking $100,000 in damages. On November 17, 2023, Tollard was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
3. Wedding Bells
In October 2019, when Bradley Gray proposed to Teresa Clark, they excitedly began planning their dream wedding on Clearwater Beach, Florida. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cancel their big day. Despite the setback, they found a way to make it special, even if it wasn’t your typical wedding ceremony.
On April 16, 2020, instead of exchanging vows on a beach, the couple said 'I Do' at Bar Harbor Bank in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Teresa approached the drive-thru window with her son and met Bradley in front of the teller. The bank manager officiated their ceremony from behind the glass. Loved ones, both local and out of state, joined the celebration from their cars or virtually through Zoom.
While they admitted it wasn’t their 'dream wedding,' the Grays were happy to be married in their hometown. It was a unique and unforgettable celebration that they will always cherish.
2. Barista Nearly Kidnapped When Handing Customer Change
Beankini Espresso, a female-owned coffee stand in Auburn, Washington, is known for its baristas serving drinks in lingerie and bikinis. Despite the shop's extensive security measures, including mace, tasers, panic buttons, and metal doors, one barista who had worked there for 15 years found herself in a horrifying situation.
At around 5 a.m. on January 16, 2023, 38-year-old Matthew Darnell stopped by the coffee stand and ordered a drink. After paying with a $5 bill, he requested change so he could leave a tip. When the barista handed him five $1 bills, Darnell grabbed at her wrist. Failing to capture her, Darnell then tried to throw a zip tie over her head and pull her into his pickup truck through the drive-thru window. Luckily, the barista was able to escape his grasp, quickly closed the window, and called the authorities.
Thanks to a swift and overwhelming public response to the surveillance footage released by the Auburn Police Department, combined with traffic camera footage and a distinctive 'Chevrolet' tattoo on his arm, Darnell was tracked down and arrested at his home on January 17, 2023.
Initially charged with attempted kidnapping, Darnell eventually took a plea deal, pleading guilty to felony harassment. On August 25, 2023, he was sentenced to 50 days in jail. With 220 days of time served credited, he was released but agreed to 12 months of supervision by the Department of Corrections. He was also issued a lifetime protection order from the victim, meaning he would be arrested if he made any contact with her.
1. Going to Great Lengths For a Cheeseburger
On April 9, 2017, Officer Jacob Koehler of the East Palestine Police Department received a radio call after witnesses reported an 8-year-old boy driving his father’s work van around downtown East Palestine, Ohio, with remarkable ease.
Despite the significant safety risks, the young boy managed to drive about 1.5 miles (2.4 km), navigating through four intersections, crossing railway tracks, and making several turns while strictly adhering to traffic laws—obeying the speed limit, stopping at red lights, and yielding to oncoming traffic—before finally pulling into the parking lot of the town's only McDonald’s. However, the boy wasn’t alone; he had his four-year-old sister in tow for the ride.
Upon arriving at the McDonald’s drive-thru, the boy ordered a cheeseburger and attempted to pay with change from his piggy bank. The workers, seeing the young driver, immediately assumed it was a prank, thinking the parents must be in the back seat. What they didn’t know was that the children’s parents were actually at home.
Not long after, Officer Koehler arrived at the McDonald’s and found the boy still behind the wheel. When approached by police, the boy quickly began to cry, realizing he had made a mistake. He explained to Koehler that he and his sister simply had a strong craving for a cheeseburger. In an effort to satisfy their hunger, the boy had climbed on his tiptoes to reach the car keys after his parents had fallen asleep. Even more surprising, the boy confessed that he had learned how to drive by watching YouTube videos.
The adventurous siblings’ joyride ended on a positive note, as they were treated to cheeseburgers, fries, and chicken nuggets before Officer Koehler took them to the police station to wait for their parents to arrive. While they may have faced some consequences at home, no charges were filed against them.
