A 19-year-old garbage man was killed on-the-job in Cambria County Monday morning.
Investigators say Barry Miller, 19, of Summerhill somehow got pinned between a dumpster and the garbage truck around 6:40 a.m.
It happened near ACRP and St. Michael’s School on Gilbert Street in Brownstown Borough.
Miller was rushed into surgery at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, where he died in the intensive care unit just before 11 a.m.
Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees said Miller died from a head injury and ruled his death accidental.
West Hills police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating what caused the accident: whether it was operator error, improper procedure or an equipment malfunction.
Investigators say Miller was standing next to the truck, operating a mechanical wench to lift the dumpster and pour trash into the truck’s compactor, when the dumpster somehow pinned him.
“The dumpster appeared to be suspended in air when it went out of control and spun around, striking the worker then pinning him between the dumpster and truck,” Lees said. “It appears to be a freak accident at this point in time, but like I said, everything’s still under investigation.”