Witness describes scene as car slams into dumpster abandoned on I-265 Wednesday night

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A man who narrowly avoided slamming into a dumpster that was abandoned by a Waste Management truck driver on the Gene Snyder Freeway earlier this week said it could have been worse.

The driver of that garbage truck, Howard Wright, is facing criminal charges for leaving the scene and the dumpster in the middle of I-265 South near the Stonestreet exit Wednesday evening.

One driver crashed head-on into the dumpster, and was taken to the hospital. Another driver, Eric Dick, managed to swerve out of the way and avoid the dumpster. He stopped and stayed at the scene to help.

"There was trash strung all over the place for I mean, probably a good 100 yards or so," Dick said.

Dick, a JCPS teacher and coach at Holy Cross, said it happened in an instant: he saw the car in front of him crash into a dark object. It wasn't until Dick pulled over to make sure that driver was OK that he was able to see that the object was an industrial grade dumpster.

Dick said he then saw the trash truck pull over and drive off, He thought it would return to help with the dumpster and the driver injured from the crash.

But that didn't happen.

"I don't understand what leaving the scene -- I feel like leaving the scene only makes the situation even worse," Dick said. "Yes, it happened, and I mean it was an unfortunate thing, but being able to just owning up to what you did."

Wright was arrested after LMPD called Waste Management to tell them about the accident and to send Wright back to the scene. He told investigators at the scene that he panicked when he picked up the dumpster from a nearby gas station and it got stuck in the "up" position.

Police said the dumpster was knocked from the garbage truck when it hit the overpass on I-265.

Wright is charged with leaving the scene of an accident and failure to render aid. He is due in court again next week.

WDRB spoke on the phone with the driver who crashed into the dumpster. He said he has been experiencing back and neck pain since the crash but is otherwise OK.

A Waste Management spokesperson released the following statement on the incident: "WM has been made aware of the incident and is cooperating with local authorities on the investigation."

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