Garbage truck worker dies after being hit by passing car, NC Highway Patrol says

A sanitation truck worker was killed on the job when he was struck by a passing car, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

The collision happened around 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, on N.C. 27 in the Boger City area near Lincolnton, Highway Patrol officials said in a news release.

“A 2014 Mack garbage truck was stopped in the travel lane while performing its duties,” Master Trooper Christopher Casey said in the release.

“A 2011 Toyota Camry traveling west on N.C. 27 failed to adequately reduce speed and struck a worker in the roadway at the rear of the truck.”

The worker, identified as 35-year-old Brandon Scott Carpenter, died after being taken to a hospital, officials said. He lived in the Dallas area of Gaston County.

“The initial investigation does not indicate impairment to be a contributing factor. (The Camry driver) was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to reduce speed,” Casey said.

The 35-year-old driver lives in Lincolnton and was not injured during the collision, he said.

Boger City is about a 40-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 5:29 AM with the headline "Garbage truck worker dies after being hit by passing car, NC Highway Patrol says."