A 20-year-old Independence Township man was critically injured when the trash-collection truck he was riding in rolled over, 10:09 a.m., Friday, Aug. 3.
The 20-year-old was the loader on the Advanced Disposal truck when the driver, a 45-year-old Independence Township man, drove off the road into an embankment on the east side of Reese Road, south of Deer Forest Court, and lost control, according to Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
The embankment caused the truck, a 2014 Autocar Xpeditor travelling southbound, to roll over onto its right side.
The loader, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was partially ejected from the vehicle. He was pinned from the waist down, between the cab and the container when the truck rolled onto its side, according to the Independence Township Fire Department.
Seatbelt use is unknown for the driver.
According to social media posts, a passing motorist stopped, called 911, and held the injured man’s hand until deputies and firefighters arrived.
Independence Township firefighters freed him by using rescue air bags, and treated him for burns from vehicle fluids.
He sustained serious injuries and was transported to McLaren Hospital in Pontiac via the Independence Township Fire Department, then transferred later to DMC for treatment of his burns.
Alcohol and drugs were not a factor in this crash. The Crash Reconstruction Unit is assisting Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies with the Independence Township Substation in the investigation.