Sanitation worker dies after being struck by dump truck in Ellsworth, Ohio
Investigators said the worker was crossing the street when he was struck by the truck, which then overturned in a ditch
Gerry Ricciutti
Updated: September 20, 2016, 3:54 pm
ELLSWORTH TWP., Ohio (WKBN) – A sanitation worker killed after he was struck by a semi dump truck on Tuesday morning.
The accident occurred on State Route 45, between U.S. 224 and Palmyra Road in Ellsworth. The road was closed for a few hours while investigators reconstructed the scene.
Ohio State Highway Patrol said the worker, identified as 20-year-old Trevor Dotson, was crossing the street to collect garbage as part of a two-man crew when he was struck.
Dotson was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital by an ambulance. He passed away a short time later from his injuries.
The semi truck driver, 55-year-old James Henderson, Jr., of Lisbon, was uninjured.
None of the neighbors living nearby actually saw the accident but most of them heard it.
“I heard them picking up my trash, and then all of a sudden, I heard a big commotion and then I came outside and that’s when I saw the tractor trailer in the ditch and the gentleman lying in the middle of the street,” one neighbor said.
Highway Patrol is investigating and can’t say why Dotson didn’t see the semi truck coming.
“It’s too early in the investigation to make an assumption on that. He was in the roadway when he got struck near the center line of the road — about three feet off the center line when he got struck,” said Highway Patrol Lt. Jerad Sutton.
Troopers say the driver of the rig swerved trying to miss the victim but then lost control and ended up rolling over into a ditch — spilling dirt that the truck was carrying.
Neighbors say the victim was a regular on their garbage route and was dressed in bright green safety clothing at the time.
The speed limit in the area is 55 mph, making the job of anyone working on or near the road dangerous.
“It’s important that people pay attention when they see those flashing lights on the garbage trucks and slow down for them, but ultimately, it’s the responsibility of the pedestrian to make sure it’s safe when they cross the roadway,” Sutton said.
