Parsippany Mayor Joins Sanitation Route Following Tragedy

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Parsippany Mayor Pulkit Desai got his hands dirty this week when he joined Parsippany sanitation crews on their garbage route.

The mayor joined the department to get a better idea of what their day looks like, how neighbors interact with workers, and to learn more about the dangers of the job and safety measures that go into it.

Desai vlogged the experience as he helped workers haul residents’ trash into the crew’s garbage truck for several hours.

“This is hard work, very hard. And they do this every single day,” the mayor remarked. “These guys talk to the neighbors, they know their neighborhood, they know the people that live there. They take great care of everybody that they meet… Mad respect for these guys, absolutely.”

See the mayor’s video below:

The mayor’s college try at sanitation work comes weeks after a Parsippany garbage man was seriously injured in a tragic accident.

On April 28, around 7 a.m, police were called to the area of Vail Road and Arnold Drive on reports of an accident involving a garbage truck.

Authorities found that a sanitation worker, later identified as 48-year-old Anthony Shandra, was loading trash into the rear of the truck when a Nissan Altima struck him, according to police.

The Nissan, driven by a 29-year-old man, caused Shandra to be pinned between the vehicles, crushing him, police said.

First responders rendered life-saving care to Shandra, and he was rushed to Morristown Medical Center to undergo emergency surgery for "severe injuries to his lower extremities."

As of Friday morning, a GoFundMe fundraiser has raised more than $82,000 from over 1,000 donations to help Shandra and his family cover medical expenses, missed wages, and more.

Authorities have not announced any criminal charges in the incident at this time, but said the Nissan driver was cooperating with the investigation.