Keith McAllister, 61, tragically died after a freak MRI accident at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York, leaving his family searching for answers. McAllister was wearing a massive 20-pound chain necklace with a padlock, a part of his weight training routine, when the machine’s magnetic field pulled him in.
His wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, was inside the MRI room for a knee scan when the incident unfolded. She says McAllister had regularly accompanied her to these appointments and had worn the heavy chain before without issue. They had even discussed it with the MRI technician during past visits.
As McAllister entered the exam room to help his wife, the machine suddenly pulled him toward it. Witnesses say the force was so strong that both Jones-McAllister and the technician struggled to free him, frantically trying to shut the machine down while calling for emergency help.
McAllister suffered multiple heart attacks from the incident and later died, leaving his wife devastated.
MRI machines generate powerful magnetic fields, making any nearby metal objects dangerous. Investigations are ongoing into how this safety oversight occurred when staff were aware of McAllister’s chain.
