SASKATOON – A video has surfaced on social media, including YouTube and Reddit, of a Saskatoon garbage truck demolishing an overfilled bin in a back alley. The footage shows the vehicle collecting garbage as usual and then the arm coming down on the emptied bin repeatedly, damaging it.
The video has gone viral and sparked debate with many believing the damage was intentional.
However, city officials say the incident on July 10 was not willfully done and the vehicle could have been compromised by the outdoor temperature.
“We did have what appears to be a malfunction of the collector arm and the operator is fairly new in the position,” said Pat Hyde, the city’s director of public works.
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“When he was trying to clear the operation of the arm, it made contact with the container, as a result the container was demolished.”
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The container was replaced by the city Monday.
Hyde assures there is no danger to the public regarding the malfunction of the arm.
“Friday was an extremely hot day, roughly around 35 degrees Celsius and that has a tendency to, especially when a unit is in frequent use, to have the hydraulics overheat which sometimes can impact the operation,” said Hyde.
The city will investigate the incident and make sure the vehicle is safe to use.
Katlynn Millions contributed to this story
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