Video shows deadly incident involving Baltimore DPW worker trapped by trash truck
BALTIMORE -- WJZ has obtained video of a tragic incident where a trash truck crushed a Baltimore City DPW worker, killing him on the job Friday, Nov. 8.
The worker, Timothy Cartwell, died at Shock Trauma, and his death comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Department of Public Works' safety record after the death of another worker over the summer.
Video Shows Tragedy
The shows the large white trash truck slowly moving down an alley behind Monroe Street Friday just before 10:30 a.m.
It lurches forward several times.
At one point on the way to Baker Street, as the truck passes by a wooden utility pole, Cartwell becomes trapped. The video shows colleagues coming to help him.
Within minutes, a fire truck pulls up to the scene.
"This Could Be Me"
"It's just like, wow, you know, this could be me. You know, it could be any one of us. Each and every day we come out here, it's very dangerous," said Cartwell's co-worker, who asked WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren not to show his face and to disguise his voice out of fear he could lose his job for speaking out.
The colleague said he last saw Cartwell two days before his death.
"We had a meeting about safety Wednesday. So walked past me. He looked at me, you know. He smiled. …He's a leader," he said. "There's no way he should be dead right now."
Cartwell's colleague said there is little safety training regarding the dangers of working in tight alleys. He told Hellgren he has picked up trash along the same route, but the trash bins are often pulled to the street so the large truck does not have to maneuver down the narrow alleyways.
WJZ saw marks on the utility pole that trapped the victim.
"This is very shocking to me, man. Every time I look at the alley, it's just like wow," he said. "…If you know you can't get past that truck, I would not try it."
Cameras on Trucks
Cartwell's co-worker said newer trucks have multiple cameras, but not all of them are equipped the same way.
"There are cameras on the side of the trucks, the new trucks now, there are cameras on both sides—a camera on the front of the truck and also on the back, but some of the cameras don't work. Some of the trucks are old," he said. "I think they need to put them on all trucks, actually."
He also told WJZ, "It's very heartbreaking that this happens. I just hope that his family gets the answers that they need."
Second Worker Death
Sanitation workers are already reeling from the death of Ronald Silver II who collapsed while working in the heat in August. An investigation found a lack of safety training, poor working conditions, and retaliation against whistleblowers.
Silver's family told WJZ through their attorney Thiru Vignarajah, "The men picking up our trash for minimum wage deserve better than hollow words and platitudes from politicians. If change is happening, it's obviously not fast enough or serious enough. We weep with and for another family enduring a heartbreak that should never have happened."
Multiple Investigations
Baltimore police are investigating Cartwell's death along with a state investigation through the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MOSH).
DPW has a safety meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning with workers.
"We are devastated by the loss of one of our DPW family, Timothy Cartwell," Mayor Scott tweeted. "I've spoken with members of his family and extended the heartbreak that the entire City of Baltimore shares with them."
The AFSCME union, which represents DPW workers, posted on Facebook, "Our AFSCME Maryland family is mourning the loss of Timothy Cartwell, a devoted city employee who passed away as a result of a tragic accident on the job. Our thoughts are with the Cartwell family and his coworkers, and we are working with the City to understand the circumstances that led to this tragedy."
