Maple Ridge father identified as victim in McDonald’s drive-thru death
Posted September 10, 2021 11:59 am.
Last Updated September 10, 2021 6:49 pm.
MAPLE RIDGE (NEWS 1130) –The man who died Tuesday in a Vancouver McDonald’s drive-thru is being remembered as an outstanding guy, loving father, and devoted husband.
Tony Eyles, 42, had stopped at the Main and Terminal location at 5:30 a.m. on his way to work. He had finished paying for his food but dropped his bank card. He reached to pick it up, but his vehicle kept rolling, and he was crushed between his car and the door jam.
Eyles died just a few weeks short of his and his wife’s ninth wedding anniversary, and leaves behind two children, eight and six, who are all heartbroken over the loss of their dad.
Tony Eyles leaves behind his wife and two children. The faces have been blurred for privacy reasons. (Courtesy: Facebook/Christina Holland)
His brother-in-law says Eyles always put his family first, adding, “everything he did, he did for them. He did a fantastic job raising those kids with my sister.”
“They have made some comments about how much they are already missing their dad. His son said to me yesterday, ‘I only got to know my dad for eight years, it’s not long enough.’ It’s impossible to say anything to him about that other than just reminding him about how awesome his dad was. My sister is struggling, of course,” Neal Pender said, adding she is surrounded by family at this time.
“My mom lives in the U.S. so it took her almost two days to be able to get up here with all the COVID restrictions and everything and be able to get a test,” he said.
Brother-in-law of the man who died in a freak accident at a Vancouver drive-thru tells me he was “one of the most awesome guys.” Tony Eyles, 42, had a wife of nearly 9 yrs + two young kids. “His son said to me…’I only knew my dad for 8 years. It wasn’t long enough.’” @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/Kd42Ghbatn
— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) September 10, 2021
“He’s just the perfect dad, the perfect husband. You know, I looked up to him,” Pender told NEWS 1130, saying he sought parenting advice from his brother-in-law, as he too recently became a new dad.
“Unfortunately [my child] never got to meet Tony. Tony would have adored that kid and he would have adored Tony too,” Pender said.
Read more: Vancouver driver crushed by his car in McDonald’s drive-thru
Eyles’ death shocked the community of Maple Ridge. Many who knew him, as well as many who didn’t, have taken to social media to offer their support to his family with things like meal deliveries.
More than $30,000 has been raised for the family in two online fundraisers. Pender says his sister has been given a long list of things to get taken care of following her husband’s death, and many of those things are expensive.
Two fundraisers have been set up online to support his wife and two children. (Courtesy: gofundme.com)
He thanks everyone for the donations and the support.
The death is under investigation by the BC Coroners Service and the Vancouver police, who called the death a tragedy.
“He should still be here. They are going to have to do an investigation on this because it just doesn’t make sense,” Pender said.
