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WEST VALLEY CITY — A man who was sleeping in a dumpster had to be taken to a local hospital Thursday after a garbage truck unknowingly scooped him and a woman up and dumped them in the back of the truck.
The 25-year-old man was sleeping in a dumpster at Stansbury Elementary School, 3050 S. 2700 West, along with a 20-year-old woman, when a garbage truck picked up the container and deposited its contents, including the couple, in the back of the truck, said West Valley Police Lt. Sean McCarthy.
The garbage truck driver continued to his next stop, but along the way heard "banging and screaming" coming from the back of his truck, McCarthy said. The driver pulled into the parking lot at Valley Fair Mall at 5:40 a.m. and discovered the man and woman.
Emergency crews from both West Valley fire and police responded to the scene. Fortunately, McCarthy said the garbage truck's compactor had not yet been turned on, avoiding potentially more serious injuries for the man and woman. Fire crews were able to get them out of the truck. The man was taken to a local hospital to be treated for a broken arm, McCarthy said. The woman was not injured.
The woman told police that the couple was homeless and that they were sleeping in the dumpster to get out of the cold.
