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A man hiding inside a rubbish container in Cartagena was accidentally picked up by a garbage truck and crushed to death after the vehicle’s compaction system was activated.

 

The tragic incident happened at around 1am on Monday August 31 on Calle Carlos III, after the man had reportedly fled from police following an alleged theft.

 

According to initial police information, the man, who was homeless, had allegedly stolen a backpack on Avenida de América in the Estación area before running away from officers.

 

Police subsequently lost sight of him and were unable to find him. Investigators later established that he may have climbed inside a rubbish container in an attempt to hide from them.

 

The container was then collected by a side-loading waste collection truck operated by Lhicarsa. The driver was apparently unaware that anyone was inside when the container was emptied into the vehicle.

 

The truck then compacted its contents, resulting in the man's death.

 

Emergency services were called after the incident was discovered, with officers from the Local Police and National Police attending alongside firefighters. Firefighters faced the difficult task of removing material from the truck in order to locate and recover the man's body.

 

The waste collection vehicle was subsequently taken to the company's base in Cartagena, where forensic experts examined it. The decision was made to carry out the inspection at the company's facilities rather than leave the vehicle in the street, where a large crowd could have gathered.

 

The Scientific Police have also become involved as part of the investigation, which is standard procedure in cases involving an unexpected or unnatural death. Officers are carrying out forensic checks to establish exactly what happened.

 

Image: Lhicarsa