Fort Lauderdale, FL : Driver hospitalized after garbage truck crashes into duplex on Monday afternoon, November 3, 2014
The driver of a garbage truck was transported to the hospital Monday afternoon after, officials said, he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a duplex in unincorporated Broward.
The crash occurred at 1441 Northwest 40th Terrace around 4 p.m. According to officials, the driver crashed into trees and fences before coming to a stop at the corner of the multi-unit complex, leaving a gaping hole and knocking out concrete from the wall.
"Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue's Technical Rescue team right now is looking to see how extensive the structural damage is, so at least that one unit on the east side of the building is uninhabitable," said BSO spokesperson Mike Jachles.
Ruth Septimus was sleeping inside the home when the truck came crashing in, but she was not injured. "I was in the house, I was sleeping on the bed, and all I heard was the TV hitting the walls, so it was a loud bang, and then I saw the damage that was done to the the wall," she said.
Septimus then went outside to check on the driver. "I went outside to see what was going on, and there was a guy telling me there was a man in the truck, so we went to look for him," she said.
Witnesses said when they went to check on the driver, he seemed stunned. "He looked a little confused to what had happened," said Septimus. "He was doing everything we were telling him not to. We were telling him to get away from the truck and he just wanted to turn off the gas and all that."
The driver was taken to the hospital with injuries consistent with the crash.
Crews have attempted to remove the garbage truck from where it is lodged, but because of its weight, it simply did not budge. As of 5:00 p.m., crews were still working to remove the truck, but they were finally able to remove the truck around 6:00 p.m.
At the time of the incident, only the driver had been taken to the hospital but a woman inside the unit was also taken to the hospital around 5:30 p.m.
Source :
Driver hospitalized after garbage truck crashes into duplex