Tragedy in Spain as man hiding in rubbish container is crushed to death

Imagine having to run from police as they are chasing after you because you have just committed a crime, and in a desperate need to shake them off your trail you jump in a rubbish container to hide, only for the container to be emptied into a collection truck while you are still inside. That is what happened in Cartagena in the early hours of Monday, when a man who had allegedly stolen a backpack from a homeless person became trapped in the truck’s compactor and died. 

The man had reportedly hidden inside a rubbish container on Calle Carlos III after fleeing through the centre of Cartagena. Police were looking for him following the theft, but it seemed like he had vanished into thin air.  At around 01:00am, a rubbish collection truck arrived as part of its normal route.

The driver had no idea anyone was inside

The driver had no reason to think that there would be anyone the container, after all, he did the same route every night and nothing he saw made him think otherwise. He carried out the collection and emptied the contents into the truck’s hopper,  unfortunately taking the man with them. The vehicle’s compaction system then activated and it was then the driver realised what had happened, likely because he had heard the mans cries, and immediately stopped the machinery.

Sadly there was nothing that could be done, the man had already suffered fatal injuries from the pressure of the compactor despite it being active for a short amount of time. The emergency services were then called and a doctor confirmed that the man had died. The truck was then taken to its depot so that his body could be removed from inside the vehicle.

Firefighters called to remove the body

Municipal firefighters were needed to carry out the extraction and the Policía Local also attended the scene for the recovery of the body, while Policía Nacional officers and other emergency services were also involved. The operation was not made easy by the fact that the victim remained inside the truck’s compaction area making extraction difficult. Once the body had been recovered, the relevant authorities could begin the procedures surrounding the death.

The authority and forensic services attended as part of the formal process, while the emergency crews dealt with the recovery operation at the depot. The truck driver was also in need of medical attention and psychological attention after suffering an anxiety attacked when he learned what had happened.

Previous deaths linked to rubbish collection in Spain

The Cartagena case is not the first time someone in Spain has died after becoming trapped inside a rubbish container and being collected by a waste truck. And although at least three previous deaths have been documented it is still a rare occurrence.

The earliest known case occurred in Alcalá de Guadaíra, Sevilla, in June 2003, when a man who had been sleeping inside a rubbish container was collected by a waste truck. He was crushed by the truck’s machinery and his body was later found at a waste-burning facility. Police confirmed following an autopsy that his death had been accidental. 

More than two decades later, 24-year-old Agostina Rubini died in Palma, Mallorca, in October 2024 after entering a rubbish container and losing consciousness inside. The container was emptied into a collection truck, which transported the waste to the Son Reus treatment plant. Human remains subsequently recovered there were identified as Rubini through DNA testing. Investigators concluded that she had entered the container voluntarily and that there had been no third-party involvement. 

The third case occurred in Castellón in October 2025, when Vicente Domínguez was found inside a rubbish collection truck after his body had been placed in a container. Forensic examinations found injuries caused by the truck’s compression mechanism, alongside evidence of an earlier blow. Police later closed the investigation as an accidental death and ruled out third-party involvement

Police investigation now underway

The Policía Nacional scientific team attended the scene as part of the investigation. The authority and forensic services were also involved in the formal recovery of the body. The death is now under judicial investigation, with officers examining how the man entered the container and what happened during the collection in the early hours.

Officers will examine the circumstances surrounding the theft, the man’s decision to hide inside the container and the events that followed when the rubbish truck arrived. The man’s identity and personal circumstances have not been released in the police-sourced reports, so further details about him cannot be confirmed at this stage.