UPDATE @ 1 p.m.: The Rumpke employee who was pinned between the back of a trash truck and a pickup truck has died, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. ﻿MORE: Rumpke accident comes on heels of new Ohio legislation A preliminary investigation shows that David J. Evans, 52, of Cincinnati, had stopped the Rumpke truck on Central Avenue. While he was at the rear of the truck collecting trash, a tan 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, operated by Brian A. Jankovich, age 41, of Middletown, struck Evans and the rear of the Rumpke truck, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. Evans was transported via Air Care to Miami Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Jankovich was transported to Atrium Medical Center with serious non-life threatening injuries. The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol - Hamilton Post. The Rumpke company was “devastated” to learn that one of its employees has died, said Molly Yeager, manager of corporate communications. She said Rumpke is a “family” business and losing an employee is “a hard loss.” “Like a family member,” she said. Evans had worked for Rumpke for 15 years, she said. UPDATE @ 8:56 a.m.: A Rumpke employee was pinned between the back of the trash truck and a pickup truck in a crash Monday morning. [ Male struck by vehicle taken to hospital; Driver given citation ] The employee, who was only identified as a male, was airlifted to Miami Valley Hospital and is in critical condition, according to Lt. Clint Arnold of the Hamilton Highway Patrol Post. The driver of the pickup truck, also a male, was transported to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown and is in serious condition, Arnold said. According to Arnold, the driver of the pickup truck struck the back of the garbage truck while the Rumpke employee was working outside. The employee was stuck between the two vehicles. “It’s very important to pay attention to what’s ahead of you,” Arnold said. It was apparent the pickup truck did not see the garbage truck that was in front of him, Arnold said. [ Springfield man taken by Careflight was stabbed by masked men, report says ] Officials do not believe speed was a factor. The speed limit in the area is 35 miles per hour. Arnold said the driver was most likely driving at that speed. The Rumpke truck was properly lit, and the employee was wearing his florescent vest, Arnold said. Police are not releasing the names of the individuals involved at this time. No other individuals were involved in the crash. Police said they are still investigating. FIRST REPORT: CareFlight was requested to a possible pedestrian strike involving a Rumpke trash truck in Middletown. Emergency crews responded to the accident with possible entrapment at Marshall Road and Central Avenue around 6:30 a.m., according to initial reports. It’s unknown how many vehicles were involved at this time. We are working to learn more and will update this page as information becomes available.<doc-sep>More than 800 area residents have said they intended to participate in the tributes since the Facebook event was first posted. The page quickly filled with pictures of flowers and hand-written notes from local children. In addition to the flowers and notes, some people have left the Rumpke collectors water and homemade fudge. But this event isn’t limited to gift-giving to the Rumpke customers in Middletown. Andy Rainey of Lebanon had her trash picked up on Monday, but her family is leaving flowers and notes out for the rest of the week. MORE: Deadly crash involving Rumpke employee comes on heels of new Ohio legislation “I decided to put them out there for him and mine is going to stay out there for a week,” Rainey told the Journal-News. Samantha Lipps posted on the Facebook event page Tuesday said her husband, a recycling driver for Rumpke, was thrilled to see the community rally behind Evans and the trash collectors. “I just showed him this event, and he’s so excited to see the letters left for him,” she wrote. Andrea Gekeler of Germantown summed up in her post on the event page what many have expressed: “I hope these workers feel the love being wrapped around each of them.” The Top your Trash tributes are planned to continue every day through August 6. Staff writer Lauren Pack contributed to this story<doc-sep>Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT CENTRAL AVENUE IS 35 MILES PER HOUR AND SPEED IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL WILL BE LOOKING AT HOW FAST WAS THE PICK-UP GOING AT THE TIME OF THIS COLLISIO THE FORCE OF THIS PICK-UP SLAMMING INTO THE BACK OF A RUMPKE TRUCK WAS ENOUGH THAT IT BROUGHT DOUG BAIRD OUT OF HI HOUSE AROUND 6:30 THIS MORNING. >> I HEARD A CONSTANT HORN BLOWING, AND I COME OUT THE FRONT DOOR AND THAT’S WHAT I SAW, RIGHT THERE. ANDREW: HE AND OTHER NEIGHBORS RAN TO HELP. THE RUMPKE DRIVER WAS OUTSIDE HIS TRUCK, COLLECTING CANS, AND WAS HIT BY THE PICK-UP THAT ALSO SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. INVESTIGATORS FROM THE HIGHWAY PATROL ARE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE OF THIS CRASH. ALL THE OTHER EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE WE’LL PUT TOGETHER, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON’T HAVE ANY OF THOSE ANSWERS AS FAR AS SPEE IF THAT IS A FACTOR OR NOT. ANDREW RUMPKE TRIES TO RUN ROUTES EARLY IN THE MORNING, TO MAKE THE JOB SAFER FOR ITS DRIVERS. >> THEY’RE ON THE ROADWAYS CONTENDING WITH THOSE PASSING MOTORISTS AND THAT’S WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT WHEN YOU’RE PASSING A GARBAGE TRUCK THAT YOU DO SLOW DOWN TO GET AROUND, BECAUSE THERE IS A PERSON THAT IS THERE ANDREW: RUMPKE WORKED TO HELP PASS AN OHIO LAW, THAT REQUIRES DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN WHEN THEY’RE PASSING TRASH TRUCKS. THE ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION TEAM WILL WORK TO DETERMINE THE SPEED OF THE PICK-UP AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH AND DETERMINE IF ANYTHING ELSE PLAYED A FACTOR. NEIGHBORS ARE KEEPING THEIR LONG-TIME TRASH COLLECTOR IN THEIR PRAYERS. >> SUPER NICE. THEY NEED MORE WORKERS LIKE HIM. HE WAS THE BEST, THAT’S ALL I CAN SAY. ANDREW: THAT LEGISLATION INSTRUCTING PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN TO GET AROUND STOPPED TRASH TRUCKS WAS JUST PASSED IN THE STATE OF OHIO ONE WEEK AGO TODAY. FROM MIDDLETOWN, ANDREW SETTERS, WL Advertisement Flowers, notes of encouragement appear on Rumpke cans after worker's death Share Shares Copy Link Copy A campaign aspires to bring joy in the midst of tragedy in Middletown, Ohio. On Monday morning, a Rumpke driver was killed while collecting trash. David Evans, 52, was outside of his truck on Central Avenue when he and his truck were struck by an eastbound vehicle. Evans was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. It's a tragedy that has frightened those who work in the industry, revealing the dangers associated with the job. But a group in Middletown hopes to spread some positivity. A campaign called Top Your Trash has been started by those in the neighborhood. The campaign aims to show appreciation to local Rumpke employees as they mourn the loss of a co-worker. Several in the neighborhood will lay flowers and notes of encouragement on trash bins for collectors -- a sign that they are appreciated. For more information on Top Your Trash, click here.An initial investigation indicated that Evans' Rumpke truck had all safety lights active and working at the time of the accident.Rumpke said it tries to run routes early in the morning to avoid heavy traffic. They said it's safer that way for their drivers, but other people on the road need to obey the law. "They're on the roadways contending with those passing motorists and that's why it's so important that when you're passing a garbage truck that you do slow down to get around, because there is a person that is there," said Molly Yeager, with Rumpke.So far, charges have not been filed against the driver of the other vehicle.<doc-sep>
Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT CENTRAL AVENUE IS 35 MILES PER HOUR AND SPEED IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL WILL BE LOOKING AT HOW FAST WAS THE PICK-UP GOING AT THE TIME OF THIS COLLISIO THE FORCE OF THIS PICK-UP SLAMMING INTO THE BACK OF A RUMPKE TRUCK WAS ENOUGH THAT IT BROUGHT DOUG BAIRD OUT OF HI HOUSE AROUND 6:30 THIS MORNING. >> I HEARD A CONSTANT HORN BLOWING, AND I COME OUT THE FRONT DOOR AND THAT’S WHAT I SAW, RIGHT THERE. ANDREW: HE AND OTHER NEIGHBORS RAN TO HELP. THE RUMPKE DRIVER WAS OUTSIDE HIS TRUCK, COLLECTING CANS, AND WAS HIT BY THE PICK-UP THAT ALSO SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. INVESTIGATORS FROM THE HIGHWAY PATROL ARE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE OF THIS CRASH. ALL THE OTHER EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE WE’LL PUT TOGETHER, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON’T HAVE ANY OF THOSE ANSWERS AS FAR AS SPEE IF THAT IS A FACTOR OR NOT. ANDREW RUMPKE TRIES TO RUN ROUTES EARLY IN THE MORNING, TO MAKE THE JOB SAFER FOR ITS DRIVERS. >> THEY’RE ON THE ROADWAYS CONTENDING WITH THOSE PASSING MOTORISTS AND THAT’S WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT WHEN YOU’RE PASSING A GARBAGE TRUCK THAT YOU DO SLOW DOWN TO GET AROUND, BECAUSE THERE IS A PERSON THAT IS THERE ANDREW: RUMPKE WORKED TO HELP PASS AN OHIO LAW, THAT REQUIRES DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN WHEN THEY’RE PASSING TRASH TRUCKS. THE ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION TEAM WILL WORK TO DETERMINE THE SPEED OF THE PICK-UP AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH AND DETERMINE IF ANYTHING ELSE PLAYED A FACTOR. NEIGHBORS ARE KEEPING THEIR LONG-TIME TRASH COLLECTOR IN THEIR PRAYERS. >> SUPER NICE. THEY NEED MORE WORKERS LIKE HIM. HE WAS THE BEST, THAT’S ALL I CAN SAY. ANDREW: THAT LEGISLATION INSTRUCTING PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN TO GET AROUND STOPPED TRASH TRUCKS WAS JUST PASSED IN THE STATE OF OHIO ONE WEEK AGO TODAY. FROM MIDDLETOWN, ANDREW SETTERS, WL Advertisement Rumpke driver dead after being struck by vehicle in Middletown Victim flown to hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries Share Shares Copy Link Copy A Rumpke driver is dead following a Monday morning crash, officials with the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.Investigators said David Evans, 52, of Cincinnati, was out of the truck collecting trash when he was struck by a vehicle.Officials said that a 42-year-old driver in a tan Chevrolet Avalanche struck Evans and the rear of the Rumpke truck.Evans was transported to the Miami Valley Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.The driver of the other vehicle was also taken to the hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.An initial investigation indicated that the Rumpke truck had all safety lights active and working at the time of the accident, officials said.The crash remains under investigation. "All the other evidence at the scene we'll put together, but right now we don't have any of those answers as far as speed, if that is a factor or not," said Highway Patrol Sgt. Brian Bost.The speed limit on Central is 35 mph, but neighbors told WLWT that people often drive faster than the posted limit. It is unclear how fast the pickup truck was going when it struck Evans. Rumpke said it tries to run routes early in the morning to avoid heavy traffic. They said it's safer that way for their drivers, but other people on the road need to obey the law. "They're on the roadways contending with those passing motorists and that's why it's so important that when you're passing a garbage truck that you do slow down to get around, because there is a person that is there," said Molly Yeager, with Rumpke.The state legislature just passed a law last week, requiring drivers to slow down to pass a stopped trash truck.WLWT will update this story as additional details develop.