KINGS PARK, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — A man who is believed to have been sleeping in a Long Island dumpster was found dead in a garbage truck that was making a stop at a middle school early Thursday morning, according to Suffolk County police.
The discovery came when a sanitation worker spotted a person in the back of the garbage truck as it stopped at William Rogers Middle School, located at 97 Old Dock Rd. in Kings Park, at about 6:30 a.m.
One man was removed from the truck and transported to Huntington Hospital to treat a leg injury, while another man in the truck was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to police, the two men are believed to have been sleeping in a dumpster at 108 Veterans Memorial Highway—four miles away from the school in Commack—when the dumpster was emptied into the garbage truck.
It is not yet clear how the man died, but detectives said that there is no indication that he was dead before being dumped into the garbage truck.
Police did not say why the two men may have been sleeping in the dumpster, what their relationship was or provide their names.
A spokesperson for National Waste Services, the waste management company that owns the truck, said that it is an unfortunate situation.
Kings Park Central School District Superintendent Timothy Eagen wrote a letter to the district community to address the emergency vehicles outside the middle school to ease any concern.
“We want to assure you that these first responders are addressing an incident that is completely unrelated to our building, our students, or our staff,” Eagen wrote. “Furthermore, there is absolutely no threat to the safety of students, faculty or staff and the school day is operating as usual.”
Eagen emphasized that the Suffolk County Police Department is aware of the activity, and said that “the safety and well-being of our school community remains our top priority.” The district said it would share any new developments, as necessary.