A trash truck driver suffered serious injuries early Saturday morning after colliding with a dump truck at the intersection of North Street and Arterial West in Auburn, with firefighters forced to cut the driver free from the wreckage before rushing them to the hospital.
The crash was reported around 5:08 a.m. on November 7, according to Auburn police, as detailed by Finger Lakes Daily News. The collision involved a Morgan rubbish truck and a dump truck owned by S. Andriulonis Enterprises, and both vehicles sustained heavy damage in the impact.
Driver Extricated, Flown to Upstate Hospital
Auburn firefighters had to extricate the trash truck driver from the mangled cab before the driver was transported to Upstate Hospital with serious injuries. The dump truck driver, meanwhile, was able to get to Auburn Hospital for evaluation by private vehicle, a notably less severe outcome from the same crash, per the outlet's report.
Auburn police have not released either driver's name, citing the nature of the crash and the ongoing investigation. The agency has not detailed what caused the two trucks to collide, and no findings, citations, or charges have been announced as the probe continues.
State Police and Environmental Crews Join Response
New York State Police's Commercial Vehicle Unit responded to the scene to assist with the investigation, joining Auburn firefighters and an Auburn ambulance crew that also assisted. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's spill response team was called in as well, underscoring the scale of the wreckage at the intersection.
Auburn police are asking anyone with information about the crash to call 315-253-3231. The department has named A. Henderson as lead detective on the case.
Not the First Serious Crash at This Intersection
The North Street and Arterial West intersection has seen trouble before: a separate three-car crash there left three people injured and required two others to be extricated from a vehicle that had rolled onto its side, according to auburnpub.com. Auburn has also seen other recent incidents involving large trucks; last month, a man using a mobility scooter was airlifted to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse after a concrete truck struck him at Genesee Street and Lexington Avenue, as reported by fingerlakes1.com. The Auburn Fire Department said that man, described as an older adult, was in stable condition, and the truck involved belonged to Vitale Concrete in Sennett. There is not enough evidence to establish a broader pattern connecting these separate incidents, but each has left Auburn emergency crews responding to serious truck-involved collisions within weeks of one another.
