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An investigation is underway after a garbage collection employee in Western Washington discovered an injured person inside a dumpster early Wednesday morning (October 25). Police officers responded to 196th Street SW to assist with a call, according to a news release.
The garbage collector told officers they were conducting their routine on their pickup route when they spotted a person inside a dumpster as its contents were dropped into the garbage truck. Officials said the patient was removed from the vehicle and rushed to the hospital, where they later died from their injuries.
No word on what kind of injuries the victim suffered or if they were hurt before or after they were dumped into the garbage truck. It's also unclear what led up to this incident, or how long the person was inside the dumpster. The victim's identity hasn't been revealed as of Thursday morning (October 26).
The investigation is ongoing but police said the situation appears to be a "tragic accident."
There was another incident involving a dumpster last year in Western Washington. A naked man who escaped from a hospital tried hiding in a dumpster to evade Seattle police officers. The story behind his escape and subsequent arrest is much darker.