Crime & Safety
Update: Major Injury Accident in Pacifica Puts Garbage Truck Worker in the Hospital
The victim is listed in serious condition with major injuries to his lower extremities.
UPDATE: 11/15/13
The 43-year-old Recology of the Coast worker who was pinned against his recycling truck by an oncoming car on Nov. 8 suffered from such severe injuries to his legs that both had to be amputated from the knee down, according to the man's nephew Ramon Hernandez.
The accident occurred around 7:50 a.m. when the Recology worker was emptying a can into his truck, he was hit by a car headed south in the 200 block of Catalina Avenue, crushing him against the refuse truck.
The driver, a 25-year-old San Francisco woman in a 1997 Infinity, claims she was blinded by the morning sun, obscuring her view, said authorities.
The driver, described as "extremely cooperative," was not on her cell phone, said Pacifica Police Captain Daniel Steidle. They determined this by conducting a forensic exam of the cell phone, which the driver consented to, he said.
Drugs and alcohol are not thought to be a factor either.
"Even though this was a horrible collision, it doesn’t appear to be criminal in nature," said Steidle.
-----
ORIGINAL POST 11/8/13
A 43-year-old San Francisco resident is in serious condition at an area hospital tonight after getting struck head-on by a driver Friday morning in Pacifica.
At approximately 7:52 a.m. officers from the Pacifica Police Department responded to the report of a traffic collision in the 200 block of Catalina Ave. in Pacifica.
Upon arrival, officers determined that a vehicle driven by a 25-year-old had struck a worker from a waste management refuse truck, pinning the man between the garbage truck and car.
The victim was transported to a local hospital with major injuries to his legs. He is currently listed in serious condition.
The driver, also a San Francisco resident, was not injured in the collision and is cooperating with the investigation.
Preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the vehicle was not intoxicated at the time of the collision.
An investigator from the Pacifica Police Department CRASH collision investigation team was present at the scene during the investigation. The investigation into this collision is continuing.
Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
