A contracted garbage truck driver was shot Wednesday morning after an argument with three people escalated into a physical fight and gunfire in DeLand's Trinity Gardens neighborhood. The driver was conscious when first responders arrived and was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital, where his condition was listed as stable.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, the shooting happened during a fight involving three people in DeLand. The DeLand Police Department reported that the altercation occurred at approximately 11:40 a.m. Wednesday in the 1900 block of Greenborough Loop, after a dispute between the driver and the three individuals turned physical and gunfire was exchanged, according to DeLand Police Department Crimewatch.
The driver's medical status and the airlift response were detailed by WKMG ClickOrlando, which reported he remained conscious as paramedics worked to stabilize him before he was flown out. Officers located all three people who had fled the scene and detained them without further incident, taking them to police headquarters for questioning, per the same account.
Investigators Say No One Else Was Hit
DeLand Police investigators confirmed there was no evidence that anyone else was struck by gunfire during the exchange and told residents there was no active threat to the public, according to the department's Crimewatch post. The shooting unfolded in Trinity Gardens, a newly built master-planned single-family subdivision in East DeLand near the Interstate 4 interchange off South Kepler Road, as described by listings covering the community.
Key questions remain open in the case. It is not yet known who started the physical fight, who fired first, or whether either side might claim self-defense under Florida's Stand Your Ground law. Florida Statute § 776.012, per the Florida Senate, allows a person to use or threaten deadly force without a duty to retreat if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm, or a forcible felony. Whether any of the three detained individuals or the driver will face formal charges has not been determined.
A Dangerous Job Made Worse By Road Conflict
The City of DeLand contracts with GFL Environmental Inc. to handle solid waste, recycling, and yard trash collection for residents, according to the City of DeLand. It is not confirmed in available reporting whether the injured driver was employed by GFL specifically, but the arrangement explains why a private contractor was operating the route where the shooting occurred.
Waste collection is already one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by Waste Dive shows refuse and recyclable material collectors suffered 37.4 fatal work injuries per 100,000 employees in 2024, making it the fifth deadliest occupation in the nation. A 2026 national driver study by The Zebra found that 6% of respondents admitted to physically fighting another driver on the road, with tailgating and getting cut off among the top triggers, though it is not established whether either factor played a role in Wednesday's dispute.
The incident adds to a string of recent Central Florida cases involving sanitation vehicles. Earlier this month, a city garbage truck driver in nearby Sanford was arrested and granted bond following a fatal hit-and-run involving a bicyclist, as reported by WKMG ClickOrlando. DeLand has also seen other recent violent incidents, including a deadly Walmart lot shooting in May.
