A private sanitation truck driver reversing down a Greenwich Village street Thursday fatally struck a man standing in the roadway, police said.
The 35-year-old driver was doing his rounds when he backed down Cornelia St. toward W. 4th St. and fatally struck the victim about 5:20 a.m., cops said.
The victim died at the scene, about a block from Washington Square Park.
Cops are trying to identify the victim, believed to be in his 30s. He appeared to be intoxicated when he stepped into the street, witnesses told police.
The driver of the private carting truck remained at the scene. No charges were immediately filed.
Thursday’s death is another black eye for the private sanitation business, which has seen a series of fatal crashes over the years while haulers drive long routes across the city.
In an effort to boost profits, many trash hauling companies assign crews to routes stretching all over the city that can take more than 12 hours to complete.
In response to the fatal crashes, a commercial waste zone program was developed in 2019 that would designate a single hauler responsible for neighborhoods. The city is expected to open its first commercial waste zone in Queens this fall, after years of delays.
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