A Baltimore trash truck crushed Timothy Cartwell. Now his family demands answers in exclusive interview.
BALTIMORE -- Timothy Cartwell's family said he suffered a crushed pelvis, went into cardiac arrest twice and lost multiple units of blood after being crushed by a trash truck along his route working for the Baltimore City Department of Public Works earlier this month.
Now, for the first time, his brothers, sister and nephew sat down to speak about the tragedy, talking exclusively with WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren.
Devoted Employee
"I loved him. I'm going onto miss him. I think about him all the time, Cartwell's brother Terrence Carroll said through tears.
The family knew him as Timmy and said he was a devoted employee of Baltimore City's DPW for almost two decades.
"Never really missed work unless he was sick. Never made any excuses about going to work. He showed up every day and did his job and did it to the fullest. He was seasoned, a seasoned worker at DPW," his brother Cornelius Carroll said.
Searching for Answers
WJZ obtained video of the November 8 incident in a narrow alley near Baker and Monroe Streets in West Baltimore . A white trash truck moved down the alley. Somehow, Cartwell became pinned between the massive truck and a wooden utility pole.
"At the end of the day, somebody has to be held accountable for crushing my uncle. He was crushed. I talked to people. They heard him yelling. Screaming. So somebody has to be held accountable for this—DPW, the driver, whoever. I need to know what's going on," said Cartwell's nephew, also named Terrence Carroll.
Cartwell's brother Cornelius rushed to the hospital.
"We didn't know the severity of the injuries until we actually got to Shock Trauma, and we were notified by the nurse," he said. "Our brother had lost four units of blood. He had two cardiac arrests. They brought him back from both of them, and he had a crushed pelvis. …As far as the co-workers that my brother was involved with, they never provided us with anything. One of them came down to the hospital and told two, three, six, seven different stories that didn't make sense."
DPW Under Scrutiny
The Department of Public Works has been under scrutiny since the death of Ronald Silver II last summer. Silver was working in 100-degree-plus heat when he collapsed. An independent investigation found a lack of training and safety policies for workers.
"When you go to work, your family expects you to come home from work," Cartwell's sister Tiffany said. "And if this is an ongoing thing for this department in Baltimore City, then accountability needs to be had on this. Who is responsible for all of the safety measures? Who is following up? It seems like it's just a chase back and forth."
Cartwell's loved ones believe a lack of training may have played a role in his death.
It is unclear whether the trash truck that pinned him was equipped with surround view cameras that could have provided the driver a better view of Cartwell outside of the truck. Some of the older trucks do not have these cameras.
"We don't want anything to happen to any other family," Cornelius Carroll said. "We just want things done in the way that they should be: Protocol has to be adhered to. Safety measures have to be adhered to. People have to be held accountable for their actions."
His brother Terrence echoed those concerns. "I loved my brother a lot. I miss him. I wish it didn't have to come to this. Things need to change. Things need to change dramatically. People need to take accountability for what's going on. Stop passing the buck. Stand up and do what's right."
Ongoing Investigations
No autopsy results have been released. The state and Baltimore City police are investigating.
DPW held a safety meeting for its workers but has not announced any new safety measures in the wake of Cartwell's death.
"We have lost a great member of our family, such a blessed soul, and it's sad that any family would have to feel the heartbreak that we're feeling now," his sister said.
Funeral arrangements are set for next weekend.
