Crime & Safety
Sanitation Worker Sprayed with Acid
Cops: The 32-year-old Gaeta employee was collecting trash on Crankshaw Place when a plastic bottle containing hydrochloric acid exploded in his face.
Hydrochloric acid sprayed into the eyes of a sanitation worker in Wyckoff Monday morning and sent him to the hospital, according to township police.
The 32-year-old man, an employee of Gaeta Recycling and Sanitation, was collecting trash on Crankshaw Place when a plastic bottle deposited into the garbage truck was crushed and exploded, police said.
The liquid in the bottle — a limestone cleaning solution — contained hydrochloric acid, which can cause frostbite, serious skin burns, dermatitis and pain.
Find out what's happening in Wyckoffwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
After the accident the victim also complained of difficulty breathing was treated at the scene and transported to Hackensack University Medical Center. The incident remains under investigation, according to Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox.
The full extent of the victim's injuries are unclear.
Find out what's happening in Wyckoffwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Gaeta is the township's contracted trash and recycling collection company.
Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Joseph M. Gerace at Joseph.Gerace@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox every morning, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
