A tragic accident occurred earlier this week which took the life of a college student from Miami-Dade. The 20-year-old man was involved in an early morning car accident in which his Nissan Altima hit a 2003 Freig Roll-off garbage truck.
A spokesman for Florida Highway Patrol indicated that just prior to the fatal accident the Nissan was headed west down Southwest 48th Street. At the same time, the Waste Management garbage truck, which was on its regular route, was travelling south on Southwest 87th Avenue. The Nissan reportedly failed to yield at the intersection of 87th Avenue and 48th Street. When it did so, the vehicle entered the path of the Waste Management truck and the two collided.
The force of the impact, to the right side of the Nissan, caused it to roll onto its side and slide beneath the truck as the truck continued forward. The two vehicles finally stopped on the lawn of a nearby home after first running into several stationary objects including a concrete wall. On the lawn, the car burst into flames.
The result of a car hitting a much bigger and heavier truck can be catastrophic. This accident is sadly an example of this. According to the spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol, the young man in the Nissan died upon impact.
The 59-year-old man who was behind the wheel of the garbage truck was not hurt badly in the incident. Accordingly, there was no need to take him to a hospital.
Miami-Dade Police is reportedly investigating the accident.
Source: The Miami Herald, “Young man dies when car crashes into garbage truck,” Monique O. Madan, Feb. 24, 2012