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Waste worker killed by garbage truck
Kimberly Kuizon reports.
BRADENTON, Fla. - A Waste Pro worker died Tuesday when the door of a garbage truck activated and closed on him during maintenance.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office said the employee was standing on a ladder, performing maintenance on the garbage truck's hydraulics system when the system activated.
"This is just an absolutely tragic accident," said Randy Warren with MCSO.
Investigators say there was a "miscommunication" between the victim and another employee during the incident. Officials said the door of the garbage truck closed on the man's head.
The victim was identified as 58-year-old Leroy Firestone. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Manatee County deputies said co-workers were distraught after learning what happened. There was no suspicion of foul play.
At Village of the Arts in Bradenton, there are pieces of art, reminders of Firestone that can still be seen.
"You can go find things in the village. You just have to look around for a painted ukulele on a telephone pole or a painted sugar skull," said David Shiplett, the owner of Bird Rock Tack Shack.
Shiplett met Firestone and his wife when they lived in the Village of the Arts.
"Even though he looked like a gruff biker kind of guy, he was as sweet as can be. He was hardworking and would help anybody and was always doing stuff in the village," said Shiplett.
Shiplett kept in touch with Firestone after he and his wife moved to a different part of town. It is a difficult time for those who knew and loved him.
"It doesn’t seem real. I just heard from him. Suddenly Lee is gone and it’s sad," said Shiplett.
Waste Pro released a statement Wednesday evening:
"At Waste Pro, we’re family. This is an extremely difficult time for all of us. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our Waste Pros. Our thoughts and prayers are with our employees and their families during this time of mourning and reflection. We appreciate the responsiveness of the first responders and emergency teams and we will continue to cooperate with local authorities on this ongoing investigation."
It happened at 7921 15th Street E in an unincorporated part of Manatee County, on the Sarasota County line.