A disturbing discovery at a Long Island middle school yesterday morning prompted an ongoing investigation by local authorities. According to ABC7 New York, Suffolk County police reported that two men were found within a garbage truck that had serviced a dumpster used by a Commack shopping center before making a stop outside William T. Rogers Middle School in Kings Park. As the truck made its routine stop nearly five miles away, a school custodian noticed a man on top of the truck and alerted the driver.
Authorities suspect, the men were asleep in the dumpster at the time of collection. People reports that one man was found alive and transferred to Huntington Hospital with a leg injury. The second individual was found dead, his body discovered buried beneath the trash after the entire truck's contents were emptied outside the school.
"Somehow, he was able to climb out of that. I wish I could tell you how," Assistant Chief Michael Frail of the Kings Park Fire Department told ABC7 New York. Meanwhile, the middle school closed one parking lot to facilitate emergency operations, but the day's school activities continued undisturbed. Superintendent Timothy Eagen emphasized the incident's detachment from the school's staff and students, maintaining that "there is absolutely no threat to the safety of students, faculty or staff," as per a statement provided to People.
Authorities currently do not suspect foul play. An autopsy has been scheduled as officials work to determine the cause of death. While the two men have not yet been identified, the investigation remains active. The discovery has prompted concern among the school community and local residents, including nearby business owners who regularly use the dumpster. "I didn't expect that one," Mustafa Zamal, a parent of an 8th grader at the school, expressed his surprise to ABC7 New York, while Geoffrey Schwartz, a nearby business owner, remarked to the publication on the occasional presence of dumpster divers in the area but professed an unawareness of anyone using the site to spend the night.
