A Taco Bell drive-thru is usually a tight fit for a pickup truck. Add a flatbed trailer carrying another car, and getting around the corner becomes considerably more complicated.
Security footage from Appleton, Wisconsin, shows a pickup towing a car through the restaurant’s drive-thru, with a man sitting on the hood of the towed vehicle, apparently placing an order at the speaker.
The pickup makes it around the corner, but the trailer cuts across the inside of the turn, knocks down a yellow protective post, and continues forward.
Now the Appleton Police Department wants to identify the people involved in what it is investigating as a hit-and-run.
The Trailer Takes a Different Route
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The incident happened at a Taco Bell on West College Avenue in Appleton. According to local television reporting, the security footage is dated September 17, 2026, at approximately 5:15 p.m.
The video shows a man perched on the hood of a car secured to a flatbed trailer behind a pickup. He appears to be using the drive-thru ordering station while seated on the hood, rather than ordering from inside either vehicle.
As the pickup pulls forward, the man remains on the hood. The truck begins making the turn around the restaurant, with the trailer following behind.
The problem comes as the trailer tracks inside the pickup’s turning path. Its wheels cross the curb, and the trailer strikes a yellow protective post near the ordering area, pulling it out of the ground and kicking up dirt.
The pickup continues through the drive-thru, leaving the damaged post behind. A silver car following the trailer maintains its distance as the incident unfolds.
Police Have Some Questions
In an October 19 Facebook post, the Appleton Police Department said Officer Berens was seeking the public’s help identifying the individuals shown in the video.
Police described the collision as a hit-and-run accident but did not publicly identify the people involved, explain why the car was being transported, or announce any charges in the information accompanying the video.
The department also did not provide a damage estimate or explain whether investigators had obtained additional evidence beyond the surveillance footage.
Anyone who recognizes the people or vehicles can contact the Appleton Police Department at 920-832-5500, send a direct message to its Facebook page, or email APDTips@appletonwi.gov.
Police ask anyone providing information to reference case A26052865.