Morbid details emerge in death of Arby’s staffer trapped in faulty freezer

Editor’s note: This story contains details that some may find disturbing.

An Arby’s restaurant manager was found dead after being trapped in a walk-in freezer with a faulty door. And now her family is suing the fast-food chain and its franchise owners for negligence.

The lawsuit describes in horrifying detail what happened to Nguyet Le, 63, a widow, grandmother, and mother of four from Houston, Texas.

Early this year, she had been temporarily assigned to an Arby’s location in New Iberia, Louisiana, for several weeks.

On May 11, 2023, Le arrived early at the restaurant to “perform some opening duties.” She then got trapped inside the freezer, which according to company policy, is kept at a temperature of -10°F (-23°C) or colder.

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She then collapsed on the frozen floor, and a preliminary autopsy determined that she had died of hypothermia.

Other employees didn’t start arriving for their shift until around 10 am, and one of the employees was Le’s son.

“Tragically, the employee to find Ms. Le’s body was her son, Nguyen,” states the document.

An investigating officer stated that the “inside of the door of the freezer had been bloodied, leading him to conclude Ms. Le panicked once locked inside and beat her hands bloody trying to escape or get someone’s attention.”

A former employee claims that management at the New Iberia location was aware of the faulty freezer door. The employee said they even personally showed the regional manager the broken freezer latch. However, they failed to repair it for almost nine months.

They stated that employees had to use a screwdriver to open and close the door and even used a box of oil to keep it from closing.

Le’s children are suing Arby’s Restaurant Group and franchisee Turbo Restaurants for negligence and gross negligence. The family is demanding a trial by jury.