HARTFORD, Ill. (KMOX) - Hartford Fire Department says they had to rescue a man early Wednesday morning who was found to have been stuck inside a garbage truck.
According to the fire department's post on Facebook, the driver of the garbage truck said he spotted a man who was on the truck's camera waving his arms to get the driver's attention.
Hartford Fire Department says they had to set up ladders to climb into the truck. Once firefighters went into the truck's trash compartment, they found the man, who indicated he had severe leg pain and could not move.
It was later determined that the trash truck picked the man up in South Roxana and had used the compactor while the man was inside. This caused a reason for concern of internal injuries to the patient.
An ambulance was called along with additional support from the Roxana Fire Department.
The man was put in a basket and lifted from the truck and then lowered down to the ground safely and put into the ambulance. Initial assessment of the patient did not indicate any broken bones or abnormalities.
The fire department says a medical helicopter was later called for rapid transport and a higher level of care, but the patient was uncooperative and did not want to be transported by helicopter.
The helicopter left without the patient and the patient was transported by ambulance to a St. Louis trauma hospital.
Hartford Fire Department did not release any information about the man.
Hartford Fire Department said emergency crews temporarily had Rand Avenue blocked off as the helicopter initially landed in the field of the Harford Community Center, but the road has now been reopened.