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Published on December 22, 2024
Sanitation Worker Fatally Struck by Garbage Truck in Tragic Workplace Accident on Jacksonville's WestsideSource: Unsplash/ camilo jimenez

A 22-year-old sanitation worker was fatally injured last Friday when he was run over by a garbage truck in Jacksonville's Westside, as confirmed by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The incident occurred around 11:17 a.m. in the 10200 block of Driftwood Hills Drive. According to reports from News4JAX, the victim was working on trash collection when a maneuver gone wrong led to the tragedy.

Officials say that a Meridian Waste vehicle was backing up so as to make room for another garbage truck traveling in the opposite direction. Sergeant Robert Hungerford told First Coast News that, while assisting the driver in reversing, the young man attempted to jump onto the moving vehicle, but unfortunately, slipped on the step and was caught under the rear wheels of the truck.

Residents of the area have been left shocked by the accident, noting that nothing of this sort had ever happened in their neighborhood. "I noticed that the road was blocked off and that I could see the gentleman, unfortunately in the road, and could kind of tell what had happened," one local, Ashley Bryant, told WTVM. She expressed deep regret as it was her trash being collected at the time of the fatal accident, pondering the guilt of what could have been if different choices had been made.

Jacksonville Fire Rescue responded to the scene and pronounced the worker deceased. The driver of the garbage truck is a middle-aged man in his 40s, police said. Hungerford added that video footage is being retrieved and reviewed, but as of now they do not "perceive criminal charges in this scenario," as mentioned on First Coast News. This event marks the 157th traffic fatality in Duval County this year. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the worker's death.