Inmate Killed In Garbage Truck Accident In Cartersville

CARTERSVILLE, GA — An inmate with the Floyd County Prison died Wednesday afternoon in a collision involving a garbage truck in Cartersville.

The inmate was working with the Cartersville Sanitation Department when he became pinned between a truck and utility pole when the truck drove in reverse on Jones Street and struck the pole.

Georgia Department of Corrections spokesperson Joan Heath confirmed that the victim "was tragically killed" in the accident. According to the Rome News-Tribune, 43-year-old Lester Robert Baker of Cartersville volunteered to do sanitation detail in Cartersville "to help with the large amount of waste put out the day after Christmas."

While the exact time was not known, Warden Mike Long said it appeared the incident occurred sometime after lunch, he told the newspaper. According to state records, Baker was incarcerated at the Floyd County Prison on burglary and other charges.

The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the incident, and the victim's identity has not been released at this time. Patch is waiting to get details from the agency. Patch has also reached out to the Floyd County government for details about the logistics of the inmate's detail.

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