A 52-year-old man critically injured after being crushed inside a recycling truck has passed away, Penticton RCMP said on Thursday, April 7.

鈥淚t is with deep sadness that the Penticton RCMP share the news that the 52 year old male that sustained injuries in the recycling truck on April 5th has succumb to his injuries,鈥� said Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck

Police were alerted about the man at 6:05 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The truck driver called 911 after he heard the man yelling in the back of his large truck.

Police determined that the man had been sleeping in an unlocked recycling dumpster and the truck picked up the dumpster, dumped it into the back of the large truck and mechanically compacted the load inadvertently crushing him in the process.

Emergency crews attended shortly after and were able to extract the man and take him to hospital.

The man sustained life-threatening injuries as a result.

鈥淲hile the Penticton RCMP is continuing to investigate, it does not appear the male was the victim of crime,鈥� police said in the aftermath of the man鈥檚 death.

The immediate and extended family of the 52-year old are aware of his passing.

The BC Coroners Service is conducting its own parallel fact-finding investigation into the death.

No further details will be shared at this time.

logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
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