S.F. man dozes in trash bin, wakes up in truck with compactor running

A San Francisco man was injured by the pressure of a recycling compactor after he reportedly fell asleep in a trash bin that was then emptied into a collection truck, officials said.

The man, whose name was not released, was taken to a hospital for injuries described as not life-threatening, said San Francisco police spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge.

The man had apparently climbed into the bin and fallen asleep early Tuesday. At about 6:30 a.m., the recycling truck lifted the container and tossed its contents into the truck’s collection bin, which immediately began compressing the trash.

When the truck’s driver heard banging coming from the collection bin, he drove to the nearest fire station in the 1200 block of 16th Avenue. There, firefighters extricated the man and carried him away in a stretcher, Talmadge said.

“He was a lucky guy,” she said.

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