Parsippany, NJ (April 29, 2026) – A sanitation worker is in intensive care after being pinned between a garbage truck and a car while collecting trash on Tuesday, April 29. The crash happened around 7:03 a.m. near the intersection of Vail Road and Arnold Drive in the Lake Hiawatha section of Parsippany.
Anthony Shandra, 48, an employee of the Parsippany Department of Public Works Recycling and Sanitation Division, was loading trash into the rear of a stopped garbage truck when a Nissan Altima struck the back of the vehicle. The impact trapped Shandra between the car and the truck, leaving him with severe injuries to his lower extremities.
Emergency units responded and provided lifesaving care at the scene. Shandra was later taken to Morristown Medical Center, where he underwent surgery and remains in intensive care.
The 29-year-old driver of the Nissan Altima stayed at the scene and is cooperating with investigators. What caused the driver to strike the stopped truck has not yet been confirmed.
The incident remains under investigation. We are thinking of Anthony and his family as he receives medical care.
How Common Are Crashes Involving Sanitation Workers in New Jersey?
Sanitation workers face higher-than-average road risks because they work directly alongside moving traffic as part of their daily routine. Garbage trucks make frequent stops in residential neighborhoods and along busy arterial roads where drivers may not anticipate a stationary vehicle blocking part of the lane ahead.
In New Jersey, roadway work zones and stopped service vehicles are a recognized hazard for both workers and passing drivers, and incidents involving sanitation crews are not uncommon along the state’s densely traveled streets and highways.
Crashes involving rear-end collisions into stopped garbage trucks can cause life-altering injuries, particularly when a worker is standing or working at the rear of the vehicle during collection. At that position, a worker has almost no protection if a driver fails to stop in time, and the size and weight of the truck itself can make the collision worse by trapping or pinning a person against the vehicle.
Many states, including New Jersey, have laws requiring drivers to slow down and move over for stopped service vehicles, similar to the rules that apply when passing emergency vehicles on the shoulder. These laws exist because the danger to roadside workers is well established, yet violations remain a persistent problem. Whether a driver is distracted by a phone, traveling above the speed limit, or simply not paying close enough attention to what lies ahead, the consequences for sanitation workers and others on the road can be severe and, in some cases, fatal.
