POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – The family of a landfill worker killed on the job looks forward to a full investigation into his sudden, shocking death.
“They are going to get to the bottom of it because we won’t stop until they do. That’s just what it is,” said Erica Dopson, cousin of Aaron Henderson, 40.
Dopson described Henderson as a proud father of three who could always be found with a smile on his face.
“He was like the life of the party. He was always happy. It was always a big smile, no matter what, no matter what he was going through. He was always there,” said Dopson.
According to Dopson, Henderson felt his new job as a traffic control employee at the Polk County North Central Landfill was a fresh start.
“He was very excited, told everybody about it. He said he was so happy that he was finally able to support his kids the right way, support himself the right way, his family,” said Dopson. “He changed his life for the better and then just for this to happen, it’s just sad.”
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Henderson was inside a porta-potty when it was crushed by a bulldozer Friday evening.
The driver of a bulldozer drove the equipment, with the front blade of the bulldozer raised 3 to 4 feet off the ground, up an embankment towards a “heavy equipment staging area.”
“He could not see directly in front of him due to the blade obstructing his view. The driver negotiated up the embankment towards the staging area, and once on level ground, he began to turn his bulldozer and heard a loud crumble. As he continued forward he noticed he went over a porta-potty which he was unaware was near the staging area,” reads a press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
He immediately exited the bulldozer and ran towards the porta-potty to see if anyone was inside of it, the sheriff’s office said.
At that time, he observed Henderson unresponsive inside the porta-potty. The foreman responded to the scene and dialed 911. Henderson died on scene.
While still under investigation, the sheriff’s office said it appears this was a “tragic, industrial accident.”
“We are very devastated. We want answers,” said Dopson.
The family is not satisfied with the information being shared up until this point and expects a full investigation.
“They are going to get to the bottom of it because we won’t stop until they do. That’s just what it is,” said Dopson.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been contacted, according to the sheriff’s office.
