Baltimore DPW failed to help, ignored warning signs before Ronald Silver's death, co-worker alleges

BALTIMORE -- The co-worker of a Baltimore Department of Public Works (DPW) employee who died from overheating while at work over the summer said they both passed out earlier in the day and the driver of their trash truck failed to call for help.

He provided new details about Ronald Silver's severe distress and how he tried desperately to help him. 

Silver died after he overheated while collecting trash in extreme temperatures in August, an autopsy found. The heat index surpassed 100 degrees.  

Silver's death sparked calls for the city to better protect its workers. Those changes were reignited on November 8 after another worker, Timothy Cartwell, was crushed to death by a trash truck. 

Co-worker also passed out

On Monday, attorney Thiru Vignarajah joined Silver's co-worker Travis Christian as he detailed the events of that day, explaining how he passed out from the heat about an hour before Silver collapsed and sharing insight into the culture at DPW. 

"It felt like I'm getting ready to die," Christian said. "I could no longer continue to do this because I'm getting ready to die. I felt my lights turning off inside my body."

According to Vignarajah, Christian worked in the same conditions as Silver. On August 2, 2024, both men worked the 6 a.m. shift to pick up trash in Baltimore City neighborhoods. Christian said that morning temperatures were already soaring to nearly 100 degrees. 

"Unfortunately, I ended up passing out shortly before Mr. Silver passed out," Christian said. "When I passed out and hit the ground, I fell and hit the back of my head." 

Christian said he's lucky to be alive to share his harrowing story. He said Silver shook him awake. 

"When I passed out and hit the ground, I fell and hit the back of my head," Christian said. "Mr. Silver kind of shook me and woke me up off the ground and when I asked him what happened, he said I collapsed."

Christian said the city did not provide them with water or breaks from the heat. 

According to Vignarajah, Christian has not been the same since he collapsed. He made several visits to medical professionals and was eventually referred to the emergency department and remains on medical leave. 

Christian said he suffered a concussion. Silver collapsed about an hour after Christian.

According to Vignarajah, Silver walked up to a stranger's house and begged for help before collapsing again. 

"This agency is guilty of creating a culture that is inhumane and unacceptable," Vignarajah said. "They have created a culture where people can't complain even as they endure unbearable inhumane conditions, not once, but every day. In cold, in hot, in the worst imaginable circumstances, they're expected to pick up our trash for a dime on the dollar, and if they complain, they get stuck in a truck without air conditioning." 

"Driver is just staring at me"

Christian described the moments Silver collapsed.

"I remember him having scrapes on his hands, on his knuckles and his elbows, so when I found him lying face down on the ground, I turned him over and when I turned him over, his eyes were rolling in the back of his head. He was rolling in and out of consciousness back and forth," Christian said.

Christian told WJZ it was difficult to get Silver off the ground as he was feeling exhausted from the heat. He detailed how the truck driver watched as he struggled to get Silver into the truck. 

"I was wobbly so I was afraid I may hit his head against the truck, or I was going to collapse with him in my arms," Christian said. "God strengthened me to get him inside the truck."

He said Silver screamed out in pain and begged him to massage his legs.

"The driver is just staring at me," Christian said. "Maybe about 10 minutes went by, the day was just a blur, maybe 10 minutes went by of me putting him inside the truck."

Shortly after, Christian said he told the driver that he could not go on any longer, saying "It feels like I'm getting ready to die," before he stumbled home.  

Pressured to Continue

When asked if they felt pressured to continue, Christian said, "Me and Mr. Silver felt tremendous pressure on continuing because we know we have to, unfortunately." 

"There's serious consequences behind us not continuing," he added.

Christian says both he and Silver were afraid to complain, were not allowed to take breaks, and when they first started getting sick from the heat, the driver had a cold response.

"(Driver) was telling us to hurry the **** up and get the ******* trash so we can get the **** out of here," Christian continued.   

Pushing for Answers

Silver's aunt Renee Meredith praised Christian for speaking out. 

"We are extremely appreciative of his courage to come forward and give his testimony," Meredith said. "We are grateful of the assistance he provided for my nephew that day and trying to help him, help revive him and do whatever he could for him given the state he was in."

Vignarajah said it is unacceptable the city has yet to provide the public with information about Silver's last day on the job—and left it to Silver's loved ones to piece together the details.

He said Christian initially came forward to him to provide condolences to the Silver family, and he has been able to corroborate his account in part through surveillance video obtained in the neighborhood. 

"Mr. Christian and Mr. Silver's family want the same thing. They want the truth about that day and about this agency to be public," Vignarajah told WJZ. "We have implored our city officials, our city leaders, our mayor, the head of DPW to release information that they still have not released. I don't know what game they think they're playing. It's going to come out."

Christian has been interviewed by state investigators and Baltimore City's Inspector General.

"It's just a shame what happened to both of us," he said.

Families Respond 

Since the second death, the families of Cartwell and Silver, along with union leaders, have continued to raise concerns about city employees. 

Both families joined DPW workers during a protest after Cartwell's death during which they called for change and accountability from Baltimore leaders. 

"We, the family, and I think I can speak for all who are behind me, want justice," Shantae Carroll, Timothy Cartwell's sister-in-law said. 

Recently, Silver's father sat down with WJZ to share his concerns, saying DPW had "plenty of warnings" that it needed to do more to protect workers from extreme heat, including a report by the city's inspector general weeks before Silver's death.   

The report details the department's heat safety policies and found that it did not have procedures to keep employees safe. The report also found that employees feared they would face retaliation for raising concerns. 

"They are still out there trying to survive," Silver's father said of his son's former co-workers. "They need their jobs. They have to be behind them too. Do the right thing for them. Make sure they have the proper water, supplies, air conditioning. Make the conditions better for them. Not only so they can provide for their family but so they can make it home." 

Leaders Respond 

The Department of Public Works declined to comment Monday about Christian's account of what happened. 

Following Silver's death in August, union leaders called for immediate change to how workers are treated. 

"The toxic culture at DPW must be gutted," AFSCME Council 3 President Patrick Moran said.

Mayor Brandon Scott also acknowledged the work culture allegations, saying "Anybody who is participating in treating our employees the wrong way or doing things like that and we catch you, you will be held accountable." 

The union met with city leaders shortly after the report was released to ensure that changes were on the way. 

Moran called Cartwell's death "totally avoidable," saying, "...it explains why communication in this sort of job is so important, and secondly, why training is so absolutely vital and necessary."

Following Carwell's death, Moran said the union has battled with the city to get data on safety to protect workers. 

"We've been requesting health and safety data for weeks, months now, from the city and we continue to get stonewalled on this," Moran said. "We have reached out to almost every level of government on this thing."

DPW held a safety meeting for its workers following Cartwell's death, but leaders did not announce any new safety measures.

Investigations 

Maryland's Occupational Safety and Health Agency (MOSH) is investigating Cartwell's death.

The agency is also investigating Silver's death. According to Vignarajah, Christian has spoken to several agencies, including MOSH and the Inspector General, to share information related to the investigation.

Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Cumming is conducting an investigation after revealing previous issues within DPW. She expects to share the results of her investigation in January.

Maryland State and Baltimore City Police are both investigating Cartwell's death. No autopsy results have been released.