(Tuesday, March 5, 2019)– A malfunctioning sanitation truck belonging to the Department of Public Works crashed into a home Tuesday without injuries.
The accident occurred around 1 p.m. at 126 Elm Ave. As the truck malfunctioned, it rammed a car, ran on private property, partially climbed atop a house’s porch and damaged the porch’s roof.
Mayor Richard Thomas said there were no injuries and he called on residents to take the accident as a call to action.
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“We’ve been asking for an investment in DPW," said Mayor Thomas from the accident scene. “We’ve been asking for help and now the people of Mount Vernon, you’ve got to step up and start using your voice and demand that the council and the comptroller help us. This cannot be allowed to continue to happen.”
Last week almost half of the Department of Public Works’ garbage trucks were out of service for lack of needed parts.
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Due to Comptroller Deborah Reynolds’ refusal to pay the City’s bills, vendors who supply the Department of Public Works with crucial parts that are necessary to keep Mount Vernon’s aging fleet operational have cut the City off. Without these parts and supplies, DPW mechanics cannot perform critical repairs, which means when trucks go down, they stay down.
