When you think of a cold, fizzy sip, you probably picture a refreshing cola or a lemon‑lime burst. Yet the world of carbonated beverages hides some truly unsettling tales. In this roundup of 10 tragic scary events involving soda, we’ll dive into the dark side of drinks you thought were harmless.
10 Tragic Scary Overview
This section sets the stage for the bone‑chilling stories that follow. From accidental poisonings to deliberate concoctions, each case shows how a simple bottle can become a vehicle for tragedy.
10 Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew, now famous for its rainbow of 35 flavors and its reputation as the go‑to “gamer fuel,” started out with a far grittier purpose. In 1932, brothers Barney and Alley Hartman began bottling a lemon‑lime brew in Knoxville, Tennessee, originally naming it after a slang term for moonshine made in the mountains. The drink was intended to chase whiskey, not to quench thirst.
The process of making moonshine creates two types of alcohol: ethanol, which is the drinkable kind, and methanol, a toxic cousin. When methanol enters the body, it converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, a poison that attacks cells. Racing fuel, which is nearly pure methanol, offers a cheap, potent high, making it dangerously attractive to under‑age experimenters.
In January 2016, four teenage boys decided to mix Mountain Dew with racing fuel, dubbing their brew “Dewshine.” The teens deliberately drank the lethal mixture. Police were called to the home of 16‑year‑old Logan Stephenson on January 21, 2016, after he was found dead in his bed. Minutes later, they were summoned to his friend J.D. Byram’s house, where Byram had begun seizing. The young man died the following Monday, turning a party prank into a fatal tragedy.
9 Grape Soda
There’s something about the allure of the “forbidden” that makes children want to test limits, whether it’s a locked room or an adult’s secret treat. Five‑year‑old Alexa Linboom learned this the hard way when she pilfered her stepmother’s grape soda. On January 1, 2012, Alexa was forced to gulp more than two liters of grape soda mixed with water in a two‑hour punishment.
The massive fluid overload caused her blood sodium to plummet, leading to cerebral swelling. Alexa screamed in agony before slipping into unconsciousness. Her parents delayed seeking medical help for several hours, and when they finally arrived at the hospital, she was already brain‑dead. Two days later, life support was removed, and a homicide charge was filed for acute fluid intoxication. Both her father, Randall Vaughn, and stepmother received life sentences without parole.
8 7‑Up
The Dominican Republic, a Caribbean gem known for its sun‑kissed beaches and vibrant culture, should be a picture‑perfect vacation spot. Yet for Awilda Montes, a romantic getaway in October 2018 turned nightmarish. After checking into the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville Resort, she opened a bottle of 7‑Up from the minibar, only to discover the fizz was gone.
She took a sip, immediately tasting bleach, which scorched her mouth and tongue, and she began spitting blood. The resort claimed it was an accidental mix‑up and offered apologies, free nights, and massages, but they also demanded she sign a disclaimer—a request she refused. Disturbingly, three other American guests had died at the same resort under similar circumstances.
7 Diet Soda
Diet sodas are popular among those watching sugar intake, sweetened with aspartame or sucralose. While the FDA deems aspartame safe, individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine, a component of aspartame, making it toxic for them. Reactions can include swelling of the lips, tongue, throat, or skin eruptions.
Elizabeth Perkins, who suffers from PKU, was mistakenly served a diet soda at a local pub when she had specifically asked for a regular version. After her first sip, she felt a sudden darkness, and when she awoke, she’d spent three days in a coma in the hospital. For most people, a mix‑up between diet and regular soda is an inconvenience; for Perkins, it was a life‑threatening event.
6 Pepsi
Sibling rivalry can be fierce, especially when a coveted soda becomes the flashpoint. In New Jersey, two brothers were watching an NFC Championship game when Michael Charles, frustrated by the 49ers’ losing streak, snatched the last can of Pepsi.
When his brother protested, Michael erupted, grabbed a pipe, and struck his sibling on the head. The altercation escalated into a knife fight, leaving both brothers drenched in blood by the time police arrived. Michael fled, never to be located, while their mother watched the chaos unfold.
5 Coca‑Cola
Soda consumption is linked to over 180,000 preventable deaths each year, yet the allure of a cold cola on a scorching day remains irresistible. A 22‑year‑old man in Beijing chose to gulp a 1.5‑liter bottle of Coca‑Cola in just ten minutes to cool off.
Shortly after, he experienced severe bloating and excruciating abdominal pain as carbonation trapped gas in his intestines. A CT scan revealed that gas had infiltrated his portal vein, the vessel that carries blood from the gut to the liver. This blockage cut off oxygen to the liver, leading to hepatic ischemia, commonly known as “shock liver.” Despite aggressive treatment, the man succumbed to the condition.
4 Ginger Ale
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) can take many forms, delivering high‑pressure blasts that damage lungs, ears, abdomen, and cause burns. Shelly Millsap’s kitchen became an accidental blast zone when a bottle of homemade ginger ale, left in the sink, fermented and built up pressure.
On the morning of January 17, 2013, Shelly walked past the sink, heard a loud bang, and was knocked to the ground. The bottle had exploded, sending shrapnel and a pressure wave that caused severe facial injuries and a broken nose. She managed to text a photo of her injuries to her husband, then drove herself to a clinic for treatment.
Initial care addressed the broken nose, but a week later, she began experiencing memory loss, right‑side paralysis, and speech difficulties. MRI scans appeared normal, yet neurologists diagnosed her with an axonal brain injury—a traumatic injury akin to those seen in combat veterans. A single forgotten bottle of ginger ale dramatically altered her life.
3 Sprite
Sprite, originally launched in West Germany in 1959 as Clear Lemon Fanta, entered the U.S. market two years later. Today it’s sold in over 190 countries with seventeen flavor variations. Its lemon‑lime profile is marketed as a crisp, refreshing option—until it became a death‑sentence for one woman.
In January 2011, Sarah Jane Moss was staying at her boyfriend Daniel Fairbrother’s house when she grabbed a bottle of Sprite from a kitchen shelf. The moment she tasted it, her face swelled, and she began vomiting a foul, black liquid. Fairbrother’s mother rushed her to the hospital, where doctors initially thought she’d ingested fish‑tank fluid and advised her to increase fluid intake at home.
Two days later, her condition worsened: sores formed around her mouth, a red rash appeared, she vomited blood, and struggled to speak. Laboratory analysis of the Sprite revealed extremely high alkaline levels—she had actually consumed cannabis fertilizer. Over the next six months, her esophagus thinned to the size of a string, and she eventually died on June 24, 2011, after multiple emergency surgeries, leaving behind a four‑year‑old daughter.
2 Togito Cola
Asthma, a condition where airway inflammation makes breathing difficult, can become fatal without prompt treatment. On August 3, 2021, a 13‑year‑old girl in Chennai, India, bought two bottles of Togito Cola—a regional soft drink—from a nearby shop.
Despite her doctor’s advice to avoid cold beverages, the girl gulped the soda after her older sister Ashwini tried to stop her. She immediately began coughing, vomiting, and within moments collapsed. Emergency services took her to a hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.
Investigations revealed the shop had a reputation for selling expired products. Authorities temporarily shut down the shop and the beverage manufacturer’s plant pending further inspection.
1 7‑Up (Again)
Methamphetamines, commonly known as meth, speed, or crank, are highly addictive stimulants that flood the brain with dopamine. In September 2017, José María Soto Gastélum purchased a 7‑Up bottle in Valle de Mexicali and later displayed classic meth‑overdose symptoms: nausea, vomiting, limb pain, labored breathing, and headaches.
Although he had never used meth, toxicology reports showed high concentrations of the drug in his system. Further investigation uncovered that 7‑Up bottles distributed in the Mexicali area had been secretly laced with methamphetamines. Over 77,000 contaminated containers were seized from a PepsiCo bottling plant, though U.S. supplies remained untouched. Gastélum’s death highlighted a chilling case of beverage tampering.