Rumpke worker dies after he was struck by his truck while working near base

Feb. 18—An employee Rumpke died Tuesday morning while working in a neighborhood near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, representatives of the waste collection company and the base confirmed Thursday.

At about 7 a.m. Tuesday, Wright-Patterson first responders responded to a call from a resident who found an unconscious man laying in the road on Gross Drive, located in the privatized housing area, The Prairies, according to a statement Wright-Patterson released.

"It was discovered that the individual was a trash collection driver and the truck he was operating was found unoccupied further down the road where it had damaged two privately owned vehicles," the base said. "Wright-Patterson officials determined the individual had exited the truck while in motion for reasons unknown and was subsequently struck by the truck."

The driver of the truck, a person employed by Rumpke Waste & Recycling, was transported by base responders to Soin Medical Center in Beavercreek, the base also said. No one else was injured.

Gross Drive is just south of Airway Road, about a mile east of Woodman Drive.

Neither the base nor Rumpke identified the worker.

"On Tuesday, Feb. 16, a Rumpke Waste & Recycling residential driver passed away while working near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base," a statement from Rumpke said. "Anytime a team member passes, it's like losing a member of our family. Our hearts break for our team member, his family and anyone else touched by this situation."

The circumstances surrounding the employee's death remain unclear, Rumpke spokeswoman Gayane Makaryan said.

"A thorough investigation is still very much underway. Rumpke is committed to working hand-in-hand with Wright Patterson and investigators to gather all the details," Makaryan said.

"Currently, Rumpke's team members are keeping their fellow friend and colleague in their thoughts," the company also said. "Rumpke has made an employee assistance program available for those needing support during such a trying time."