The Antelope Valley Times

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One killed when car slams into trash truck in Palmdale

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PALMDALE – One person was killed Thursday in a collision between a trash truck and a subcompact car.

The crash — involving a Honda Fit and a Waste Management truck — was reported about 11:50 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at the intersection of Avenue M and 20th Street East, according to the watch commander at the sheriff’s Palmdale Station.

The eastbound Honda slammed into the side of the truck, which had been making a left turn from 20th Street east onto Avenue M, the watch commander said.

The Honda driver, reported to be a 41-year-old man who was the car’s sole occupant, was pronounced dead at Antelope Valley Hospital.

The truck driver sustained minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, according to the sheriff’s department.

There was no immediate indication that drugs or alcohol were involved, the watch commander said.

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Filed Under: Home, Palmdale

13 comments for "One killed when car slams into trash truck in Palmdale"

    • The intersection has basic signals with no left turn arrows. M is 2 lanes each direction with a E/B to N/B left turn lane. S/B 20th E is single lane 2-way traffic with no separate left turn lane. SB 20th E ends for S/B traffic requiring a turn. Visibility for S/B 20th E to the West is somewhat obscured by power poles, full size tumble weeds and a fenced in power switching station. Another signal 325 feet East of first signal to control traffic from M to S/B 2oth E, could be a significant confusion factor.

      • What difference does “visibility to the west somewhat obscured” make? If you are turning left off of 20th the eastbound traffic on M is looking at a red light.

        Who cares that southbound 20th has no left turn lane? You can’t go straight, so the only lane is the left turn lane, or the right turn lane. It’s actually safer since people who could make a dangerous right turn on the red aren’t stuck with a car beside them obscuring their vision, and are hopefully stuck behind people turning left and just have to wait for the green light.

        As to your “significant confusion factor,” are you suggesting people see a green light a block ahead and it inclines them to run the red light they are at? Just how stupid do you think people are?

        Basically, you have spun out a bunch of facts here, which are actual facts; but you have presented them as if they are in some way relevant to having caused this accident. Unless you have a witness that says the trash truck slowed down enough to make a left turn but didn’t stop for a red light and pulled out in front of traffic sailing green on Ave M there is really nothing to say about how this happened beyond the obvious. The obvious being that for reasons unknown a guy on Ave M missed the fact that he was coming up on a red light and a big slow moving green truck, ran one and hit the other.

        • Actually, I did spin out a bunch of facts. Only some of them would be apparent to a relative from out of town. Nothing was implied, just stated what I saw. Not sure how this caused you to blow a gasket. Maybe you should have a Snickers.

          • I didn’t blow a gasket. I just pointed out that absolutely none of your facts have any relevance at all. Apparently having that pointed out bothers you. Stick your Snickers where the sun won’t find it.

  2. I could say that i work for waste management and this drivers drive very crazy in the street. Its all about finishing tgere routes.

      • Trash truck drivers around here drive like idiots to begin with talking on their cell phones while driving and I have videos of them and I called their company I bet you most of them don’t even have a license or they have a lot of DUI

      • Someone suggested he might have had a heart attack b4 the accident. I’ve always joked about the irony of being run over by a garbage truck.

        • The trash truck made a left hand turn so it was probably illegal turn..

          Trash truck drivers drivers license in Los Angeles on the metro line and they found most of them had suspended licenses and DUIs

          • “Probably illegal turn” as in he ran the red light? That’s the only kind of illegal turn available there. He turned onto Avenue M. 20th doesn’t go through, so there is no traffic coming at him. If the light is green, he can turn, if it is red, he can’t. There’s not much available for the guy to do illegally, except blatantly run the red light.

            Clearly you have some sort of chip on your shoulder about trash truck drivers and aren’t going to let reality stand in your way.