2 Waste Management employees killed in crash involving dump truck, garbage truck
Investigation closes 204th & Fort for hours
KMTV
September 28, 2018
ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) - UPDATE 8:25 p.m.
The Nebraska State Patrol has released the names of two men killed when their garbage truck crashed in Elkhorn Friday afternoon.
Troopers say the garbage truck driven by 26 year old Pierre Lamont Neal and passenger 54 year old Rogelio Sanchez Marin, both of Omaha, was northbound on 204th Street as it approached Fort Street. Neal drove the truck into the southbound lane in an attempt to pass a pickup and trailer that was turning right onto Fort Street. As that happened, a dump truck turned left from Fort Street into the southbound lane of 204th Street. Neal over-corrected while trying to get back into his own lane and lost control, flipping the truck onto its side. As the truck slid, it ran into the dump truck.
Neal and Sanchez Marin died at the scene. The driver of the dump truck, 55 year old Darold Ashcraft of Omaha suffered minor injuries.
Troopers are still investigating. The intersection was closed for about six hours due to the investigation and cleanup.
What a shame. Pierre Lamont Neal was speeding on the road as he was trying to pass the pickup truck and was not careful considering the garbage truck's difficulty in stopping on time or realizing the significant rollover risk associated with hard breaking these big trucks. He had obtained his commercial truck driver license just last year. He had a nice job. He loved good food, based on the food pictures he was posting online. Sorry bro. RIP.
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Two people died in a crash involving a dump truck and a garbage truck at 204th and Fort streets Friday afternoon, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.
Both fatalities in the crash that happened at about 1 p.m. Friday were Waste Management employees, the company confirmed.
"Today is a day of profound sadness for the Waste Management family," Waste Management spokeswoman Lisa Disbrow said in a written statement Friday afternoon. "This is a heartbreaking incident and our deepest sympathies go out to their families and friends.
"We are working with local authorities, Nebraska State Patrol and would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders who attended and assisted at the scene. We appreciate your patience as the authorities investigate this incident."
Authorities were advising drivers to avoid the area Friday afternoon as streets had been shut down while the crash was investigated.
Drivers are asked to avoid the area as it is expected to be closed off into the evening hours.
204/FORT STREET WILL BE SHUT DOWN ALL DIRECTIONS FOR AT LEAST 5 MORE HOURS FOR INVESTIGATION— Douglas County 911 (@DCNE911) September 28, 2018
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ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) -
The Nebraska state patrol is investigating a crash in Elkhorn involving a dump truck and a garbage truck that killed two Waste Management Employees. That crash happened around one Friday afternoon at the intersection of 204th and Fort closing the intersection for six hours.
Some neighbors who live around that intersection say the danger with it is the high rate of speed and low visibility. For some neighbors though Friday afternoon's accident was a bit shocking. “Anything that's close nearby is very shocking when you hear the word death, so it is of some concern at this point and a little bit shocking to hear such words like that in our neighborhood,” said nearby resident, Brett Gebhardt.
State troopers say a Waste Management garbage truck heading north on 204th Street switched lanes in an attempt to pass a pickup and trailer turning onto Fort. at the same time, a dump truck was turning left onto 204th. The garbage truck tried to get back in its own lane, overcorrected and lost control causing it to roll on its side and slide into the dump truck.
The garbage truck driver, 26-year-old Pierre Lamont Neal and passenger 54-year-old Rogilio Sanchez Marin died at the scene. One neighbor says it was only a matter of time for something like this to happen at that intersection. "Sadly, I was not surprised to hear that there had been an accident on that particular intersection,” said nearby resident Heather Duhacheck-Chase.
She said it's not uncommon to see people speeding down 204th, causing her to find different routes out of her neighborhood. “Intentionally avoid it even if it is easier to go that way or quicker because of the traffic there and because you don't have a good line of sight right there,” said Duhacheck-Chase.
Resident Roy McHugh said personally he's never had problems with that intersection but said there are some safety issues." It's a high speed coming in because it slows down to 45 right where the intersection hits,” he said.
The neighbors that spoke with 3 News Now agree now more than ever changes will need to be made to that intersection in the future. “I do believe that a stoplight will be needed eventually,” said Gebhardt. “Maybe if it dropped to 45 a little sooner that would make it a little safer,” said McHugh.Some neighbors say a big concern going forward is the amount of traffic around that intersection will increase because the neighborhood is still developing and right now heavy traffic is already a problem.