The operator of a street sweeper died outside in the cold following what authorities described as a "freak accident" in Connecticut.
Police on Friday discovered the body of a 47-year-old man while responding to reports of a vehicle that had crashed into the side of a building at the Southbury Green shopping center.
The man, whose name was not released, was found lying on the ground outside the cab around 5:30 a.m, according to the Republican-American. Authorities said it was likely that he was unconscious for some time before his body was found.
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After a preliminary investigation, officers suspect that the street sweeper was likely leaning out of the vehicle to pick up trash and may have hit the gas pedal by accident. The vehicle, in turn, lurched forward and into the side of the building.
When authorities found the man, they said it did not appear the he suffered any significant physical injuries in the crash. Instead, investigators believe he may have succumbed to the cold temperature - at the time just around zero degrees.
The body was taken to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington to determine the cause and manner of the man's death.
With News Wire Services