Man dies in Florida after being sucked under street sweeper
Published June 12, 2017
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was killed when he was sucked underneath a street sweeper in Florida.
Local news outlets report that a street sweeper operator was killed early Saturday after officials say he became entangled while trying to clear something from the machine at a parking lot in the Mandarin neighborhood of Jacksonville.
Witnesses say the man was heard crying for help, but by the time rescuers had arrived he was already unresponsive.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Sgt. Mark Musser says police worked throughout the day to contact both the man's family and his employer. Investigators say they were trying to gather information about exactly how the incident happened.
Musser says no foul play is apparent and that it seems to be a terrible accident.
The man's identity wasn't immediately released.
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A street sweeper who apparently was trying to clear something from the machine became accidentally entangled in it and was killed on Saturday, CBS affiliate WJAX-TV in Jacksonville, Florida, reports.
WJAX said it happened in the parking lost of a fast food restaurant where witnesses reported hearing a man's cry for help but couldn't reach him in time before the accident turned fatal.
Police said the victim was in his late 40s or early 50s and hasn't been identified.
WJAX spoke with a father from the area who has an 18-year-old son who works for him. He described the incident as horrific.
"I own a roofing company and to see these kinds of things happen ... it's horrific ... it's awful," Jay Maust said. "The thing is to make sure he [Maust's son] understands how easy it is even for him to get hurt ... even just sweeping a parking lot you now see how dangerous it is."
An investigation has been launched by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.