The Penticton RCMP said the driver of a large recycling truck called the 911 shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday when he heard voices from the back of the vehicle. The unlocked recycling bin, which was picked up by the collection truck with the man inside, was thrown into the back of the vehicle, which proceeded to condense the cargo, according to police. Mountis said the victim was accidentally crushed in the process.
The victim was taken to hospital
Emergency crews managed to free the man from the truck. He was taken to hospital for medical treatment in what police described as life-threatening. On Thursday, police said the man had died. “The man does not appear to have been a victim of crime,” the RCMP said in a statement. “The BC Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting its own, parallel investigation into the death.”
“Tragic event”
Deaths of this kind are not uncommon. Others have died seeking refuge in recycling bins or clothing bins. Police are asking anyone with information about what police describe as a “tragic incident” to call 250-492-4300. A new provincial-funded shelter is set to open in Penticton. The city had previously filed a lawsuit against the province because it decided to continue operating a shelter it wanted to close. The city abandoned the suit after the province announced it would move the location of the new shelter.
