"Big old mess:" Garbage truck crashes into apartment complex after collision with car

RACINE (WITI) -- Shocking sights and sounds had neighbors staring in disbelief on one stretch of 16th Street in Racine Thursday morning, April 23rd.

"I was actually getting ready for work like I was laying in the bed and I heard the boom and then all of a sudden I heard all of the fire trucks coming down here," said Racine neighbor Deonte Walton.

The incident happened around 7 a.m. Police say the garbage truck was traveling west bound on 16th Street when the car made a northbound turn from 16th Street onto Flett Avenue turning into the path of the truck. As a result of the crash, the truck veered hitting a tree than smashing into a lower unit in an apartment building.

"When I came out here it was just a big old mess like everybody everywhere, car smashed up, lots of officers and I'm just like hoping nobody died," said neighbor Quadricka Jackson.

Racine Police say the driver of the garbage truck had to be extricated from the vehicle and there were two people in the car. All three were taken to the hospital, but police are reporting no fatalities.



One young man told FOX 6 he was friends with the people in the car.

"I'm scared I mean I know he's going to be okay I'm just more cautious about me driving now and more cautious about him driving too," said Jonathan James.

The man who says he lives in the apartment unit that was hit claims that he's grateful that he wasn't home at the time of the incident, because he could've been sitting right where the garbage truck broke through.

"It was nothing but God actually because he would've been in there sleeping and he might not have made it because everything from his kitchen was pushed to his bedroom," said Jackson.

Crews were on the scene for hours cleaning the mess and pulling the garbage truck from the building.

"You could hear the sounds of the house crackling like the garbage truck was holding the house up," said Jackson.

Anyone with additional information on the crash is being asked to contact the Racine Police Department Traffic Unit at 262-635-7816. You may also contact Crimestoppers at 262-636-9330, or by texting RACS plus the message to CRIMES (274637) and referring to Tipsoft I.D. #TIP417 with your text message.