CITY SANITATION WORKER HURT WHEN TRUCK IS HIT

A 21-year old Cape Girardeau sanitation worker suffered major injuries Friday when a car struck the back of the sanitation truck on which he was riding.

City police identified the victim as Anson F. Harris of the 200 block of S. Lorimier. Harris broke both legs in the accident and was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital, said Sgt. Al Moore of the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

A spokesperson at the hospital said Saturday that Harris was in stable condition.

The accident occurred at 10:12 a.m. along Cape Rock Drive near Brookwood Drive. There were no other injuries, police said.

Police gave this account of the accident:

The sanitation truck driven by Michael James Conrad had stopped along Cape Rock Drive to pick up trash. Harris and another employee, Lawrence Robinson, were riding on the back of the truck. Robinson got off to make a collection and Harris remained on the back of the truck.

A car traveling east along Cape Rock Drive, driven by Linda Marie Mittrucker of Cape Girardeau, failed to stop and struck the rear of the sanitation truck where Harris was riding.

Mittrucker was issued a ticket for striking a stopped vehicle, Moore said.

He said wet pavement may have played a part in the accident. Moore said there were several other minor accident in Cape Girardeau Friday caused by wet pavement.

"Drivers are just not allowing enough additional room to stop on this pavement," he said.