Garbage man dies after falling under the wheels of his truck

NEW YORK (WABC) — A New York garbage man was killed when he fell from the cab of his truck and was hit by a car's wheels, officials said.

Stunned family members hugged each other and tried to cope with the loss of Richard Errico, a 54-year-old Queens garbage man who died instantly after falling from the cab and sliding under the wheels of a 30-ton garbage truck, officials said.

Errico was on duty and alone at the time of the accident, which authorities say occurred shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday. The garbage collector was attempting to turn around in front of the garbage collection garage in Queens East.

It wasn't immediately clear why Errico fell out of the truck, but garbage collectors regularly work with the cab doors wide open because they get in and out of trucks so often.

City Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch consoled the victim's family before informing Mayor Eric Adams, who arrived on the scene to meet with family members and receive an update on the investigation.

“Our department mourns the loss of garbage collector Richard Errico, who served for 19 years,” Tisch said in a statement. “He did it with pride. I ask all New Yorkers to pray for his family.”

The investigation is routinely conducted by the New York Police Department's Collision Investigation Squad.

Copyright 2024 WABC via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.