Cape Girardeau, MO — June 27, 2025, one person was killed due to a garbage truck accident at approximately 7:00 a.m. along Spring Street.

According to authorities, the accident happened at an apartment complex off of Spring Street south of the Bloomfield Road intersection.

Preliminary reports state that, for as yet unknown reasons, a garbage truck collided with the side of an apartment building. It doe not appear that anyone who had been inside the building at the time of the wreck was hurt.

The person who had been behind the wheel of the truck was reportedly entrapped in the wreckage and had to be extracted by emergency personnel. Once freed from the aftermath, the victim was declared deceased due to the injuries incurred during the accident, reports state.

Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identity of the victim—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a garbage truck strikes the side of an apartment building, especially during an early morning route, the natural question is: How does a crash like that happen in a residential setting? When it results in the death of the driver, it becomes even more important to look closely at the systems and decisions that led up to the event.

At this stage, the cause of the collision is still unknown. But any meaningful investigation should begin with the vehicle itself. Garbage trucks operate under a unique set of mechanical stresses: shifting loads, frequent braking, and low-speed maneuvering in tight spaces. A failure in any of those systems—particularly brakes, steering, or suspension—could explain a loss of control. Investigators should already be examining:

• The condition of the truck’s brake and steering systems
• Whether the load shifted unexpectedly during the route
• Any available onboard data showing speed, throttle, and braking input

The driver’s condition is just as important to understand. Early morning collection shifts often involve long hours and repetitive tasks that can lead to fatigue. It’s also possible the driver experienced a medical emergency. Cell phone records, toxicology reports, and in-cab camera footage—if available—will be essential to determining what the driver was doing or experiencing in the moments before the crash.

Beyond the truck and its operator, the layout of the property should also be reviewed. Many apartment complexes are not designed with large commercial vehicles in mind. If the route required unsafe turns, blind reversals, or narrow clearances, that may have increased the risk of an incident. In cases I’ve worked, poor site design or lack of coordination between the property owner and the collection company created hazardous conditions that ultimately led to preventable crashes.

These types of incidents aren’t always caused by a single critical error. More often, they’re the result of a chain of missed opportunities—failures in training, oversight, maintenance, or planning—that come into focus only after a serious event occurs. That’s why it’s not enough to assume the cause. The facts have to be gathered and examined carefully to make sure the right parties are held accountable.

Key Takeaways

• The cause of the garbage truck’s collision with the apartment building remains unknown, and multiple factors require investigation.
• Mechanical issues such as brake failure or steering loss could explain the vehicle’s deviation from its intended path.
• The driver’s medical condition, fatigue, or distraction may also have played a role and should be reviewed through physical evidence and records.
• The design of the apartment complex and any operational routing decisions may have contributed to limited maneuverability or visibility.
• Accountability depends on analyzing the full picture—including driver behavior, vehicle performance, and the conditions under which the truck was operating.