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A malfunctioning Mount Vernon DPW garbage truck went rogue on Tuesday morning near the intersection of Elm Avenue and North Fulton, slamming into a car, and striking a house, damaging both.
The latest incident comes weeks after DPW employees found that the city’s snowplows, salt, garbage and sewer trucks had been sabotaged the night before a major storm.
Last week, Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas stated that eight of the DPW’s 17 sanitation trucks are currently out of commission, and the city owes $257,066 to 13 parts vendors. Some of the unpaid bills allegedly date back to last April. Two of Mount Vernon’s five street sweepers are also out of commission.
Thomas said that the inability to repair garbage trucks has led to DPW employees working double shifts each day, which means the city has to pay overtime, compounding the city’s financial woes.
It is not clear what caused the truck to malfunction on Tuesday. No injuries were initially reported. Officials said that more information is expected to be released at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon when Thomas has scheduled a press conference.
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