The Municipality of San José constantly deals with cases of workers who are injured by citizens during working hours.
Fractures and minor injuries are usually the consequences of such events. However, the recent death of Marco Araya, 61, while picking up trash, alarmed the Municipality.
The problem we have is that our workers are mired in tasks and they are not always aware of who is coming. If they are aware of that, they do not do their job,”
said Emperatriz Ordeñana, head of the Department of Environmental Services of the Municipality of San José.
Apparently, a driver hit Araya with her car and pressed him against the pickup truck where he was depositing the garbage, in the district of Pavas.
As a result of his injuries, the man was taken to the San Juan de Dios Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Friday.
Araya was just 3 months away of retirement.
This is why the authorities are calling for increased safety measures on the road, especially when there are workers.
We understand that people are in a hurry, but this keeps happening… People can help by honking the horn or making a change of lights,”
added Ordeñana.
In the Municipality of San José garbage is collected from 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. the next day. Some days the schedule extends to 24 hours.