By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

COLERAIN TWP. - A Rumpke driver was injured Tuesday morning when he was struck by a car while picking up trash. It is the fourth such incident in nine months.

Robert L. Jerauld, 26, of Florence was treated at University Hospital and released.

He was walking across Pippin Road near Altura Drive at 6:08 a.m. to collect garbage cans when he was hit by a white car, Hamilton County sheriff's deputies said.

The vehicle "grazed him," sheriff's spokesman Steve Barnett said. "The Rumpke driver stepped out into oncoming traffic."

Deputies are looking for the driver, who fled.

Accidents involving Rumpke drivers on foot have been common this year.

In January, Steven Finch of Mount Orab was killed when a driver slammed into the back of his Rumpke truck on Ohio 28 in Goshen.

Three days earlier, Rumpke driver Michael Dewey was critically injured when he was struck by a sport-utility vehicle while collecting trash on Princeton Road in Fairfield Township. He recovered from his injuries and has returned to work.

After the crash that killed Finch, Rumpke launched a campaign to promote safety around its service vehicles. The "Slow Down to Get Around" campaign has been embraced by communities nationwide.

As part of the campaign, municipalities are putting decals and stickers on their vehicles and promotional materials.

Public service announcements on radio and television have also aired to raise awareness of drivers, Rumpke spokeswoman Amanda Wilson said.

"Right now there are close to 100 cities on a national level that are participating," Wilson said.

Locally, about 20 communities have agreed to adopt the program.

Wilson said it's too early to gauge the effectiveness of the campaign.

The company has also increased the amount of reflective clothing employees wear and added more reflective decals to Rumpke trucks.

"We are doing all we can to make sure that our employees are as safe as they can be," said Larry Stone, director of safety at Colerain Township-based Rumpke.

"All drivers need to exercise more caution and remember that any time there is a stopped vehicle in the roadway, they need to look for at least one person in that same area."

Drivers hurt

Recent crashes that injured Rumpke drivers:

• Dec. 31: Michael Dewey was critically injured when he was struck by a sport-utility vehicle while collecting trash on Princeton Road in Fairfield Township. He recovered from his injuries and has returned to work.

• Jan. 3: Steven Finch was killed when a vehicle slammed into the back of his garbage truck on Ohio 28 in Goshen.

• July 23: Charles Walden received minor injuries when he was struck by a car on Wayne-Madison Road in St. Clair Township.

• Sept. 7: Robert L. Jerauld was treated and released for minor injuries after he was struck by an unidentified vehicle while retrieving trash cans on Pippin Road in Colerain Township.

---

E-mail deck@fuse.net