Victim of fatal garbage truck accident identified

A 53-year-old man died Thursday morning as a result of injuries incurred after being struck by a garbage truck in Cannon Falls Township, the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Mark Isaacson, of Faribault, Minn., was in front of a Waste Management truck picking up a garbage can during one of his stops on 90th Avenue Way when the truck began rolling forward. According to the sheriff’s report, it rolled approximately 82 feet before striking Isaacson and rolling over him.

Jonathan Bell, who was working with Isaacson on the route, had put the truck in neutral and applied the air brakes before he and Isaacson got out at the stop. Bell, 35, of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., was picking up a garbage can behind the truck when he noticed the vehicle rolling forward, but Isaacson was struck before Bell had time to warn him.

Cannon Falls Ambulance transported Isaacson to Cannon Falls Hospital. The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office checked with the hospital shortly after at 11:15 a.m. and Isaacson had been pronounced dead.

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family and friends,” Waste Management spokeswoman Julie Ketchum said. “Second, we are cooperating with local law enforcement officials regarding the details of the accident.”

The garbage truck was towed from the scene to Siewert’s Garage in Red Wing, where the Minnesota State Patrol is performing a commercial vehicle inspection.

“They look for signs of brake failure, is it in compliance with all the laws …,” Goodhue County Sheriff Scott McNurlin explained.

According to the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration, more than 4,600 workers were killed on the job last year, equating to nearly 13 deaths each day.

Tags: fatal accidents, cannon falls, goodhue county, news, accidents