Buzz
We live in a time where deliveries, driven by convenience, have become part of our daily lives. With just a click or a tap on an app, we can have anything from groceries, takeout, office supplies, to construction materials arrive at our doorstep, workplace, or job site—sometimes within hours. Yet, as we grow accustomed to these conveniences, deliveries often transform from moments of excitement to routine events that fade into the background of our busy schedules.
Despite the common nature of these occurrences, the following stories demonstrate that even the most ordinary deliveries can drastically alter the course of someone's day—or even their life. From unfortunate accidents, jaw-dropping surprises, to life-changing twists and disturbing revelations, these tales uncover the unpredictable and often dark side of modern deliveries.
Here are ten seemingly average deliveries that turned out to be anything but typical.
10. Materials Delivery Leads to a Tragic Freak Accident Involving a Tape Measure
At around 8:45 am on November 3, 2014, 58-year-old Gary Anderson was unloading a load of sheetrock at a construction site in Jersey City, New Jersey, where two 50-story residential towers and a hotel were being built. Soon after arriving, Anderson got out of his truck and leaned into a vehicle to chat with someone. As he pulled his head back from the vehicle, a tragic and unforeseeable accident unfolded.
At that very moment, a one-pound (0.45-kg) tape measure fell off a construction worker’s belt on the 50th floor. The tape measure then bounced off a piece of metal construction equipment about 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters) above the ground, striking Anderson in the head. Tragically, Anderson wasn't wearing a safety helmet. He was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health, but was declared dead at 9:52 am.
One of the workers recalled that Anderson appeared to be a deeply religious man, and shared that he was telling a story when he uttered the words, ‘God is good,’ just before he passed away.
9. $5,000 Surprise in Domino’s Lunch Order
On September 20, 2016, Selena Avalos placed an order for chicken wings from a local Domino’s in San Jose, California. When her order arrived, she opened the box, expecting her wings but instead found what seemed like a mistake—breadsticks. However, the box contained neither her wings nor breadsticks, but bundles of cash—nearly $5,000 in total.
Avalos, a manager at Spacetel Wireless, immediately recognized the cash as likely being the restaurant’s deposit. Wanting to return the money, she called the Domino’s store where she had placed her order. Unfortunately, three days passed without receiving any callback from anyone at Domino’s.
In an effort to resolve the situation, Avalos contacted her local TV station—ABC7 News—for assistance. Fortunately, after reaching out to Domino’s corporate office, the news station was able to connect her with the franchise owner so she could return the cash. As a gesture of gratitude, Avalos was rewarded with a year’s worth of free Domino’s pizza, and her employer gave her a paid week off as recognition for her honesty.
8. Fast Fashion Purchase Leads to a Foul Discovery
Suzanne Baum, a lifestyle editor from North London, had been a loyal customer of ASOS clothing for years. In fact, Baum mentioned, ‘I’ve been buying from ASOS since it first launched, and I’ve always encouraged my kids to shop there once they had their own money.’ She never anticipated that a simple order for a pair of shorts would lead to a shocking and stomach-turning surprise.
Baum’s 21-year-old son ordered a pair of ASOS Design summer shorts for $22.89 (£17.99) on August 31, 2022. The package arrived, sealed with tags, just as one would expect. However, an overwhelming ‘pungent poo smell’ emanated from the box, ruining the experience.
Although Baum and her son were initially puzzled by the foul odor, they soon realized that the back and sides of the shorts were stained with feces. Shocked by the discovery, Baum tried to reach ASOS customer service, but was only able to access an automated online chat, with no direct contact available.
In an effort to get a response from customer service, Baum posted a photo of the shorts on her Instagram. Shortly after, she received an email from customer service stating, 'We’re looking into this; this doesn’t meet our standards.' ASOS offered a refund for the item and a voucher as a 'goodwill gesture.' They also assured Baum that the matter was being investigated with the warehouse team and additional staff training would follow.
Not wanting to keep the contaminated shorts in her house, Baum confessed that the shorts were 'wrapped up far at the back of my garden, just in case it’s queried.'
7. A Life-Saving Delivery—Literally!
Todd Holland, a 55-year-old U.S. Navy Veteran and 25-year UPS driver from Wilkesboro, North Carolina, delivers packages to around 80 homes each day in the rural area of Crumpler. He is well-acquainted with his customers, including one elderly gentleman in his eighties who greets Holland each day with a warm smile and a friendly 'Hello' from his back porch.
When Holland arrived on February 1, 2019, to deliver a package, he noticed that his regular customer, the elderly man, was not outside. Holland knocked on the door and called out, but assumed the man wasn’t home. However, when Holland returned on February 5, 2019, the package from his previous visit was still sitting outside. It was then that he realized something was amiss.
Holland began urgently knocking on the door, calling the man's name, and eventually turned the door handle, which fortunately was unlocked. Upon entering the house, Holland found the elderly man lying on the floor, unable to move. He immediately called 911 and stayed by the man's side, holding his hand as they waited for help to arrive.
The elderly man later told paramedics that he had fallen and been stuck on the floor for seven days before Holland discovered him. He was taken to the hospital, where EMTs noted that the man’s muscles had begun to deteriorate, and without Holland’s timely intervention, he wouldn’t have survived the night.
6. Routine Delivery Turns Into a Nightmare as Amazon Driver Gets Trapped in Septic Tank
In January 2023, Amazon driver Charles Amicangelo was making his usual delivery to a home in Apple Valley, California. As he approached the property, he noticed a hole in the ground. Although he tried to avoid the hole, the ground beneath him gave way on his return to the truck, and he fell 13 feet (3.9 meters) into a septic tank, getting trapped in the sludge with no escape.
Unfortunately, Amicangelo’s attempts to extricate himself only made the situation worse. In desperation, he contacted his employer’s dispatch line to request assistance and began recording a TikTok video to document the harrowing ordeal. He remained trapped underground for around 40 minutes before emergency responders finally arrived.
Thankfully, the Apple Valley Fire Protection District arrived and, after stabilizing the ground with a ladder, dropped another one down to Amicangelo. This allowed him to climb out of the septic tank and escape his entrapment.
Despite the terrifying experience, Amicangelo—a former Marine—remarked that he had been trained to always complete the mission. After being rescued by the firefighters, he returned home, took a shower, and then went right back to work.
5. Walmart Grocery Surprise: Pineapple Juice and a Shocking Find
Tesia Britt, 28, from Aurora, Colorado, cherished the time spent unpacking groceries with her 3-year-old daughter. However, in April 2022, as they unpacked a Walmart grocery delivery, Britt made a shocking discovery: a crack pipe tucked in the bag next to a container of pineapple juice. Astonished by the unexpected item, Britt called for her husband, who confirmed the presence of the crack pipe, assuring her that she was 'not crazy.'
A third-party delivery service was responsible for Britt’s grocery delivery. Although Walmart did not disclose the name of the service, they conducted a comprehensive investigation into the incident. They later stated, 'Upon learning what happened, we immediately deactivated the third-party driver and urged any customers who experience dissatisfaction to contact customer care.'
In light of the unsettling experience, Britt shared that she would continue to order groceries but would now take extra care to check every single bag before bringing it inside.
4. An Elderly Shopper Receives an Unexpected Stolen Item
Don Thompson, 78, from Jefferson County, Colorado, is a regular Amazon shopper, often placing up to five orders a day. While he generally finds Amazon’s service reliable, one particular delivery led to what he described as 'the biggest shipping error' he had ever encountered.
On July 30, 2022, Thompson ordered a roll of fiberglass screen mesh to repair his screen door. However, when the United States Postal Service arrived with his package on August 3, 2022, Thompson discovered that instead of the mesh, the package contained a .20 gauge Stoeger shotgun. As a former law enforcement officer, Thompson was 'totally dumbfounded' by the mix-up, especially considering that the firearm could have ended up in the hands of a criminal or someone with malicious intent.
CBS News Colorado's investigation into the incident confirmed that the tracking number provided for Thompson’s screen mesh order matched the tracking number on the box containing the shotgun. The label also showed that the shotgun had originated from an Amazon fulfillment center in Aurora, Illinois. However, Amazon stated that it neither stocks nor sells firearms.
Following the incident, Amazon customer service sent Thompson an email expressing their regret: 'I’m terribly sorry to hear we’ve shipped you a firearm instead of the screen you purchased. This certainly isn’t what we want our customers to expect, and I can assure you the firearm was shipped unintentionally. We’re conducting an internal investigation of the errors leading to this shipment to ensure this doesn’t happen to any other customers.' Amazon also refunded the cost of the screen mesh and credited Thompson’s account with an additional $250.
Thompson reached out to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, prompting an officer to retrieve the shotgun from his home. The initial investigation revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen. As the investigation continued, the Sheriff’s Office informed CBS News Colorado that a series of mistakes had led to the shotgun’s wrongful shipment.
The firearm was originally meant to be shipped from the manufacturer in Maryland to a gun store. However, a mix-up resulted in it being mistakenly sent to an Amazon sorting center, where the wrong shipping label was attached, leading to it being delivered to Thompson’s address.
3. Hair Care Horror
In August 2015, Allison Henry placed an order for hair care products from Target. When the package arrived at her Bronx, New York home, it contained the items she had ordered—but also something far more unsettling: five vials of blood and a PlayStation game titled The Old Blood. Henry reached out to UPS, Target, and the lab listed on the packaging, but none of them could explain the bizarre contents or provide guidance on what to do with them. Henry then turned to Eyewitness News for assistance.
Eyewitness News uncovered that the blood belonged to Kelly Mikhalik. On August 24, 2015, Mikhalik had sent a Lyme disease test via overnight shipping from her office in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. UPS confirmed they were investigating the mix-up, speculating that the two packages had somehow crossed paths at a sorting facility in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.
2. DoorDash Driver Rescues Toddler from Freezing Cold
At around 11:00 am on January 9, 2022, Robert Jackson III was delivering for DoorDash when he encountered a horrifying scene on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan. A two-year-old child was wandering alone in the street, dressed only in a diaper and socks. The outside temperature was 38°F (3°C), but with the wind chill, it felt like it was below freezing.
Jackson immediately stopped, wrapped the child in his coat, and placed him inside his car to warm up. The toddler was too young to communicate where he lived, so Jackson flagged down another driver, asked them to call 911, and stayed with the child to comfort him until the police arrived.
Detroit police successfully identified the toddler and traced his home to just a block away from where he was discovered. It was later found that the child had slipped out of the house while his 16-year-old sibling was babysitting. The toddler was taken to Children’s Hospital for a check-up, and the incident was classified as an accident.
1. Firewood Delivery Ends in Tragedy
Fifty-one-year-old Scott 'Scotty' Jackson was known for being a generous, reliable grandfather and a dad who would dance just to make his daughter smile. To make extra money, he delivered firewood in Fort Worth, Texas, but tragically lost his life while trying to ensure that homes would stay warm before a winter storm arrived.
On the night of January 14, 2024, Jackson was making his final deliveries before the storm hit. Upon arriving at a regular customer's house, the homeowner came outside to help. Unfortunately, the routine delivery turned tragic when an 'extremely naked man' showed up unexpectedly.
The homeowner described the naked man—who was later identified as 27-year-old Chrisantus Omondi—as confronting him aggressively, accusing him of trespassing, and declaring that he never wanted to see them again. Despite their requests to finish unloading so they could leave, Omondi shoved the homeowner and struck Jackson several times with a piece of firewood before overturning a wheelbarrow onto him.
Omondi then struck the homeowner on the arm with the firewood before chasing him into the backyard. The homeowner managed to escape and get inside his house, where he called 911. While seeking help, the homeowner was forced to watch as Omondi returned to Jackson and fatally attacked him. Omondi fled to a nearby Airbnb, where he had rented a room.
Upon returning to the Airbnb, Omondi began shouting at one of the female tenants. When the police arrived, Omondi was attempting to force his way into her room. The officers instructed him to leave, but when he resisted and became combative, they deployed a stun gun to subdue him.
Witnesses and video surveillance footage confirmed the homeowner’s account of the events. The homeowner was treated at a local hospital for his injuries, while Jackson succumbed to fatal blunt-force trauma to his head and neck. Omondi was arrested and faces charges of murder, aggravated assault on a security officer, and obstruction or retaliation.
