AUSTIN (KXAN) — A homeless man is recovering after he was accidentally tossed into a dump truck.
Austin Police Department says the man flagged an officer down after it happened.
The operator of the compactor heard the man banging and let him out.
Austin Police Association President Ken Casaday says that’s just one example of why the city needs a new temporary shelter.
“I couldn’t imagine the terror of having to think about: ‘I’m about to get crushed in a vehicle,” says Casaday. “And it’s just because he didn’t have a temporary place to stay.”
Casaday says it’s not uncommon to see homeless people sleeping in dumpsters, especially downtown in the Sixth Street area.