Rock Hill trash worker heard screams from the compactor. A woman was inside, cops say
What started out as routine trash pickup Monday in Rock Hill turned into screams after a city worker found a woman inside a truck’s compactor, officials said.
A city worker in a sanitation truck collecting garbage from outside Cherry Park Elementary School Monday around 5 a.m. emptied a dumpster into the truck’s compactor, according to Rock Hill Police Department. When the operator activated the compactor, he heard screams and stopped, according to a police report.
“He heard loud screaming from the compactor, whereupon he found an unknown female inside,” the report stated.
The worker said the woman freed herself from the compactor and fled on foot, said Rock Hill police Lt. Michael Chavis.
“Clearly this was a dangerous situation that could have ended badly,” Chavis said.
It is unclear if she had any injuries, officials said.
It also is unclear if the woman had been in the dumpster that was emptied into the truck’s compactor, or was already in the compactor when it was engaged, Chavis said.
As of Monday afternoon the woman had not been located, Chavis said.
Rock Hill city spokesperson Katie Quinn said the Rock Hill sanitation worker followed public works protocol in handling the situation.
Quinn said the person may have been seeking to get out of stormy weather Sunday night and Monday morning. But it is against city law to “dumpster dive” or go through city-owned receptacles solid waste ready for collection.
“There are dangers because of what may be in the dumpster, or in a situation such as this,” she said. “People need to be aware that it is against city code and not safe.”
No further information was available.
This story was originally published January 13, 2020 at 12:33 PM.
