Sanitation Worker Killed In Bergen County Crash While Working: Police

TENAFLY, NJ — A sanitation worker was killed while transferring garbage in Tenafly on Monday morning, said police in that town on Tuesday.

Police Captain Michael deMoncada said that just before 7 a.m., someone called 911 to report a motor vehicle crash on County Road north of the intersection with Prospect Terrace.

According to police, a tractor trailer was traveling northbound on County Road and crashed into the rear of a garbage truck just as the sanitation worker was transferring garbage into the truck.

The impact injured the sanitation worker and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said he was a 23-year-old North Arlington man, but have not identified him.

More officers from the Tenafly and Cresskill police departments responded, along with the Tenafly Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Englewood Health Medical Center Paramedics, the Tenafly Volunteer Fire Department, and Bergen County Sheriff’s Department.

Representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also responded, police said.

deMoncada said, "Based upon evidence and witness accounts, it appears that the sanitation truck was parked along the northbound curb with one worker in the roadway collecting trash from area residences. Officers determined the tractor trailer was traveling northbound on County Road and crashed into the rear of the garbage truck just as a sanitation worker was transferring garbage into the truck."

The driver of the tractor trailer, a 53-year-old man from Saylorsburg, Pa., remained on the scene and was cooperating with the investigation, police said. He was taken to Englewood Health Medical Center with minor injuries. No summonses were issued.

The driver of the garbage truck, 54, from North Arlington, and another sanitation employee, 69, from Union City, were both taken to Englewood Health Medical Center for precautionary evaluation.

County Road remained closed in both directions for several hours as officers conducted their investigation, police said.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation by members of the Tenafly Police Department Traffic Bureau, police said.