A frightening incident occurred in Snoqualmie Thursday afternoon, July 11, 2019 when a large Waste Management collection truck and its driver careened backwards down narrow Oakmont Ave SE near the Club at Snoqualmie Ridge.
The incident was caught on a home’s NEST security camera and posted to Facebook by local business, Pineapple Life Yoga and Barre. Luckily, no one was injured.
In the video, the truck hit garbage cans and a fire hydrant, narrowly missed uprooting two trees and a portable basketball hoop, went up on the sidewalk and through a home’s front yard.
Snoqualmie Police Chief Perry Phipps said officers responded to the scene. He added, “It could have been so much worse.”
Waste Management (WM) said the driver temporarily lost control of the truck when it started rolling backward – possibly due to an obstruction near his brake pedal.
WM Communications and Public Affairs area Manager Jackie Lang said the accident resulted in property damage to landscaping, a [sidewalk] tree and a fire hydrant.
The company said it remains in contact with the City of Snoqualmie and impacted residents to address the damages.
Lang commented, “This was a highly unusual situation and a harrowing experience for our driver. The blessing is that no one was injured. We sincerely appreciate the community’s understanding. Our investigation continues at this time and Waste Management remains fully committed to safety as a core value.”
