Amesbury, MA — June 24, 2025, a 9-year-old boy was injured in a garbage truck crash at about 8:50 a.m. on California Street.

Authorities said a boy on an electronic bike was hit by a garbage truck that was picking up trash near California Lane.

The boy suffered serious injuries in the collision, but he was conscious and alert when emergency personnel arrived on the scene, according to authorities. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The garbage truck driver is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Essex County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.

Commentary

When folks hear that a garbage truck hit a young boy on a bike, their first question is usually a simple one: How does something like that even happen? Was the truck moving? Was the child in the driver’s blind spot? Did the driver check his surroundings before maneuvering? These are exactly the kinds of unanswered questions that determine whether this was an unavoidable incident, or a preventable one.

At this point, we don’t have a clear picture of what the garbage truck was doing at the time of the crash. Was it actively moving down California Street or stopped and picking up trash when the boy was struck? Depending on which it is, different questions arise. If the truck was moving forward, that raises concerns about visibility, driver attention and whether the boy was in a spot the driver could or should have seen. If the truck was stopped and the boy somehow collided with it, that brings up different issues, like whether the truck was positioned in a safe location or if there were any warning signals active.

The authorities have said the driver is cooperating, which is a good start. But in my experience, getting to the truth of what happened doesn’t stop with driver interviews. That means looking at black box data, which can show things like speed and braking activity right before the crash. If the truck has in-cab cameras, as many garbage trucks do, then footage might reveal exactly what the driver saw and did. And of course, cell phone records can answer whether the driver was distracted at the time.

It's also worth asking whether the garbage collection company has policies in place to help drivers avoid incidents like this. For example, do they have rules about not backing up without a spotter? Are their drivers trained to look for children who might approach while they’re working on a residential route? These aren’t just theoretical concerns; they’re exactly the kinds of issues that come up time and time again when I’ve handled similar cases.

Until a full investigation answers those questions, we won’t know who, if anyone, should be held accountable. But the tools to get those answers do exist, and someone needs to use them.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s not yet clear whether the garbage truck was moving or stopped when the boy was hit. Each scenario raises different concerns.
• Critical evidence includes dashcam footage, black box data and cell phone records, none of which have been reported yet.
• Company policies and driver training are important factors in determining if this crash could have been prevented.
• Authorities say the driver is cooperating, but that’s only one piece of a thorough investigation.
• A full, independent review of all available evidence is necessary to determine the truth and ensure accountability.