Westbury, NY – July 21, 2025 – A 61-year-old man, identified by his wife as Keith McAllister, died on Thursday, July 17, 2025, following a horrific accident at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York. The incident, which occurred the previous afternoon, involved McAllister being pulled into an active Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine by a 20-pound metal chain he wore around his neck, resulting in fatal injuries. The Nassau County Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, which has raised concerns about MRI safety protocols.
Incident Details
According to a press release from the Nassau County Police Department, the incident took place just after 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at Nassau Open MRI on Old Country Road. McAllister entered an MRI room while a scan was in progress, an action described by police as unauthorized. He was wearing a large metallic chain, reportedly used for weight training, which was drawn into the machine’s powerful magnetic field, pulling him violently toward the scanner. This caused what authorities described as a “medical episode.”Adrienne Jones-McAllister, the victim’s wife, provided a heartbreaking account to News 12 Long Island. She was undergoing an MRI scan on her knee and needed assistance to get off the table. She asked the MRI technician to summon her husband, who was waiting outside. Jones-McAllister stated that her husband entered the room, waved goodbye to her, and was then suddenly pulled into the machine by the chain, which weighed approximately 20 pounds and included a large lock. “At that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in, and he hit the MRI,” she recounted, tearfully adding, “He went limp in my arms.” She and the technician attempted to free McAllister but were unable to overcome the magnetic force.McAllister was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries at 2:36 p.m. on Thursday. Jones-McAllister reported to News 12 that her husband suffered heart attacks after being freed from the machine, though the exact cause of death has not been publicly disclosed by authorities. The Nassau County Police Department’s homicide squad is investigating, but police have stated there is no indication of criminality, suggesting the incident was a tragic accident.
Conflicting Reports on Entry
There are conflicting accounts regarding how McAllister entered the MRI room. The Nassau County Police Department’s statement emphasized that his entry was unauthorized, and a witness reported to CBS News that McAllister defied orders to stay out of the room after hearing a relative—presumably his wife—screaming during her scan. However, Jones-McAllister’s account suggests the MRI technician actively summoned her husband to assist her, implying a potential lapse in safety protocols. She noted that the chain, a weight-training accessory, had been discussed casually with staff during a previous visit, with comments like, “Ooooooh, that’s a big chain!” This raises questions about whether staff adequately screened McAllister or enforced safety measures before allowing him near the MRI room.
MRI Safety Risks
MRI machines use powerful magnetic fields, often thousands of times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field, to produce detailed images of the body’s internal structures. According to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, these magnets can exert forces strong enough to “fling a wheelchair across the room” and pose significant risks to anyone with metallic objects, such as jewelry, implants, or external devices like oxygen tanks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that MRI-related injuries, while rare, can include burns, projectile injuries, and, in extreme cases, fatalities due to the magnetic pull on metal objects.Dr. Payal Sud, a physician at North Shore University Hospital, told CBS News that failure to follow MRI safety protocols can lead to catastrophic outcomes, including “strangulation injuries, asphyxiation, or cervical spine injuries.” Charles Winterfeldt, the hospital’s director of imaging services, described the chain’s behavior in the MRI’s magnetic field as acting “like a torpedo trying to get into the middle of the center of the magnet.” Standard MRI safety protocols require patients and visitors to remove all metallic objects and undergo thorough screening before entering the magnet room (Zone IV), where the magnetic field is strongest.This incident is not the first of its kind. In 2001, a 6-year-old boy, Michael Colombini, was killed at Westchester Medical Center in New York when a metal oxygen tank was pulled into an MRI machine, striking him and causing fatal blunt force trauma. In 2018, a man in India died after being pulled into an MRI machine while carrying an oxygen tank. More recently, in 2023, a nurse in California suffered crush injuries after being pinned between an MRI machine and a hospital bed. These cases underscore the critical need for strict adherence to safety protocols.
Ongoing Investigation and Safety Concerns
The New York Department of Health is reviewing the incident, noting that MRI facilities in New York are not subject to routine inspections as part of diagnostic and treatment centers. Nassau Open MRI, which offers both open and closed MRI scans, has not responded to requests for comment from multiple news outlets, including ABC News, NPR, and USA Today. The facility’s silence has fueled speculation about potential lapses in safety procedures, particularly given Jones-McAllister’s claim that a technician allowed her husband into the room.Posts on X reflect public shock and debate over the incident, with some users, such as
@notinabluemoon, calling it “gross medical malpractice” and others, like
@ClearHeatVision, drawing comparisons to dramatic scenes in movies like Final Destination. However, these posts are inconclusive and reflect sentiment rather than verified facts.
Calls for Improved Safety Measures
Medical professionals have reiterated the importance of rigorous MRI safety protocols. Dr. Kenneth J. Perry, an emergency medicine physician in Charleston, South Carolina, told Fox News that the magnetic field in an MRI is “never off,” making it essential to keep all magnetic materials out of the vicinity. The FDA emphasizes that “careful screening of people and objects entering the MR environment is critical” to prevent objects from becoming dangerous projectiles. Some experts have suggested that facilities implement stricter access controls, such as locked doors to Zone IV areas, and enhanced training for staff to ensure no one enters an active MRI room without proper screening.
Community Response
The tragedy has left the Westbury community and McAllister’s family in mourning. Jones-McAllister’s emotional recounting of the event highlights the sudden and devastating nature of the accident. “I said, ‘Could you turn off the machine, call 911, do something, turn this damn thing off!’” she recalled, describing the futile attempt to save her husband. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the hidden dangers posed by MRI machines when safety protocols are not strictly followed.As the investigation continues, authorities and medical professionals are urging the public to heed MRI safety guidelines, including removing all metallic objects and ensuring only authorized personnel enter scan rooms. The loss of Keith McAllister has sparked renewed calls for improved safety measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
