Illinois homeless man crashes to death in garbage truck, some blame cold

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An Illinois homeless man was accidentally crushed to death in a garbage truck last week after he allegedly tried to warm himself in a dumpster, local reports said.

Lee Roy Stewart was found dead Thursday at a waste management facility in Springfield, FOX Illinois reported. Investigators believe Stewart was in the dumpster when it was dumped into a garbage truck.

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Stewart, who was homeless, “died of crush injuries consistent with the equipment used to haul the garbage,” the Springfield newspaper, the State Journal-Register, reported, citing Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon.

Lee Roy Stewart was found dead Thursday after being run over to death in a garbage truck. (Clay County Sheriff’s Office)

Allmon said it was not clear if Stewart was sleeping or disoriented. He confirmed the 58-year-old man was alive when he was run over and said foul play was not suspected.

While investigators are still trying to determine why Stewart might have been inside the dumpster, homeless advocates say he may have tried to warm up in the cold weather or find a spot to sleep.

“They find a place where they are off the grid,” Julie Benson, president of Helping the Homeless in Springfield, told the station. “They can make themselves comfortable where they are. It is their home.”

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Stewart was reportedly not from the area and authorities were looking for members of his family after the accident.

On Saturday, Allmon confirmed to WICS-TV that officials had located Stewart’s family but did not give details.

A record of Stewart’s arrest in Clay County, Fla., Showed he had previously been charged with resisting an officer, according to the station.

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