Cape Girardeau man hurt in trash truck accident

A Cape Girardeau man was injured about 10 a.m. Monday by a Public Works garbage truck when the mechanical arm of the truck pulled him a few yards from the end of his driveway as he tried to pick up some trash on the curb.

The man's girlfriend, Theresa Reaves, said Robby Doghten was almost pulled underneath the truck, near the front tire. Doghten was taken from his home at 419 Mill St. to Saint Francis Medical Center with injuries to his left arm, the back of his head, and to his ankle.

Reaves said her neighbor, Jean Lagois, was the person who saw the truck begin to drag Doghten and she screamed for the truck to stop. Doghten was picking up pieces of trash that had fallen out of the receptacle when the mechanical arm caught him and began to pull him down the street.

Tim Gramling, Cape Girardeau public works director, said late Monday that the man was too close to the truck when he was picking up trash that had fallen out of his bin.

"He was in a place where he shouldn't have been," Gramling said.

Heather Brooks, assistant to the city manager in Cape Girardeau, said the city's risk manager, Lori Meyer, was working with police in taking statements from witnesses and the truck's driver.

"We haven't really been able to confirm what's been said to the media," Brooks said. "There's some differing statements out there."

Sgt. Jason Selzer, spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said late Monday the incident was not considered a motor vehicle accident. The department took a report but didn't issue any traffic citations.

Pertinent address:

419 Mill St., Cape Girardeau, MO