What should have been a routine trash pickup in Washtenaw County turned into a roadside nightmare in early March, according to a local family that says a garbage-truck worker sprinted up to their van and beat their 17-year-old passenger. The teen was left with a concussion and other injuries, his family says, and is now sidelined from sports while he recovers. His mother and 4-year-old sibling were inside the vehicle and watched the attack unfold, an experience the family says has left the boy deeply shaken.
Video shows the attack
Surveillance footage reviewed by the family's attorneys shows a Duncan Disposal employee stepping out of a trash truck, running to the passenger-side window of a van and repeatedly striking the person inside, the family's lawyer says. "It's alarming to watch someone get attacked," attorney David Champine told ClickOnDetroit. Champine says the video is part of the evidence submitted with the family's civil complaint.
Family files suit, lawsuit describes injuries
A lawsuit filed earlier this month alleges the Washtenaw County teen was "violently assaulted" and left with a concussion, according to CBS News Detroit. The complaint names Duncan Disposal Systems and the individual worker as defendants and seeks accountability along with damages for medical expenses, pain and the ongoing trauma the family says the teen is dealing with.
Company response and police action
Duncan Disposal's owner told Local 4 that the employee was fired but offered no further formal comment, and the Northfield Police Department confirmed that a warrant has been signed for the suspect, ClickOnDetroit reported. According to the family's attorney, the teen also suffered a possible fractured rib and a sprained ankle in the attack. Local officials have not publicly released charging documents or provided a timeline for any arrest.
Legal fallout
The civil complaint faults both the worker and Duncan Disposal for the teen's injuries and seeks changes to the company's hiring, supervision and training practices, the family's attorney says. Northfield's signed warrant means criminal charges could still be on the table. Under Michigan law, assault and assault that results in serious injury are criminal offenses, and state statutes and criminal-procedure rules spell out how those charges are brought and handled in court. The Michigan Legislature notes that assault and assault causing serious injury can carry criminal penalties.
What’s next
The family's civil case remains pending and the police investigation appears to be ongoing. The family says the teen is still recovering physically and emotionally, and that the incident has disrupted his school life and kept him off the field and court. Local outlets report they have contacted both the company and police for more information; Duncan Disposal has confirmed the worker was terminated, and officials have not yet released additional details about potential charges.
