DPW employee Timothy Cartwell was struck and killed by a DPW garbage truck in November 2024

Baltimore, Md. (October 1, 2025) - Today, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates announced that his Homicide Unit has completed an in-depth review of the fatal Department of Public Works (DPW) truck collision that resulted in the death of Timothy Cartwell on November 8, 2024, at the 1600 block of N. Monroe Street. The review found that:

• A DPW supervisor arrived at the scene of the incident and told the driver he was allowed to leave the scene. This occurred before the police arrived.
• The driver took a breathalyzer test. This test occurred nearly seven hours after the accident on an outdated breathalyzer machine that is very unlikely to have its results accepted by the court. All blood alcohol content level tests must be administered within two hours of any accident.
• DPW did not train the victim on the safety protocols of how to proceed with a trash truck in an alley, in violation of DPW’s own policy.

Unfortunately, due to the gross negligence of DPW’s actions, this investigation is tainted, and our office cannot proceed and cannot make a determination.  

“I want to thank my Homicide Unit and BPD’s Accident Investigation Unit for conducting this intensive and thorough review to determine whether anything criminal in nature occurred on November 8, 2024, that led to the tragic death of Mr. Timothy Cartwell. Due to DPW’s actions, we do not have the evidence we would need to adequately investigate and determine if the driver’s actions meet the legal thresholds of Criminally Negligent Manslaughter or Grossly Negligent Manslaughter,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates. “However, it is evident that DPW Solid Waste employees have not received proper training on how to stay safe while performing these duties. Additionally, missteps in the investigation by DPW hindered any potential legal efforts to determine if the driver was impaired. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Mr. Cartwell’s family and friends during this extremely challenging time.” 

On November 8, 2024, at approximately 10:20 a.m., members of the Baltimore City Fire Department responded to the side alley of the 1600 block of N. Monroe Street for a “person who passed out while working.”  Medic 27 responded to the scene and transported the pedestrian, a DPW employee named Timothy Cartwell, age 46, to the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Due to the fact that the initial call was for a “sick case,” units from the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) did not initially respond. However, personnel from DPW later contacted BPD, requesting that an officer respond because DPW required a police report. 

There were two other DPW employees present at the time of the incident, including the driver of the garbage truck, and another worker who, along with Mr. Cartwell, was responsible for loading refuse into the truck. Mr. Cartwell, the most senior employee working on the truck that day, had been employed by DPW for approximately twenty years. 

Given the dimensions of the truck and the alley, there was only 7.2 inches of clearance on either side of the vehicle when centered in the alley, which required the driver to turn their side mirrors inward to avoid scraping the buildings. 

When the Baltimore City Fire Department responded to the location of the incident, they found Mr. Cartwell suffering from pelvic fractures and life-threatening injuries. The initial call was upgraded to a vehicle vs. pedestrian incident, and BPD’s Crash Team was eventually notified. Unfortunately, the scene was not preserved, and therefore, investigators had to rely on measurements, interviews, and surveillance footage. According to multiple interviews and video obtained from a local business, the trash truck was traveling slowly down the alley while Mr. Cartwell and his partner were retrieving trash bins and loading the trash into the rear compactor. As the garbage truck continued southbound, its operator honked the horn to alert two pedestrians at the end of the alley near Baker Street to remove trash bins from its path. While the truck was passing an adjacent alley, Mr. Cartwell was seen walking toward Pole No. 113142, located west of the odd side of the alley. The audio quality of the recovered video is poor; however, Mr. Cartwell can be heard saying “go go,” and then the garbage truck slowly moves forward. Immediately, after the truck moves forward, Mr. Cartwell collapses between the truck and the fence. After Mr. Cartwell collapses, a different voice, presumably Mr. Cartwell’s partner, is heard saying, “Go forward.” The driver and the other DPW worker then approached Mr. Cartwell, and the driver called 9-1-1. 

According to a witness, shortly after the incident, the driver was agitated, stating, “I quit, I quit,” and, against DPW policy, he was allowed to leave the scene in a Lyft. This decision was a significant error, as law enforcement could have mandated that the driver provide a blood sample using a Maryland State Police blood kit if responding officers suspected impairment. The Lyft operator was interviewed and indicated that the driver was on his phone and very upset, stating, “I’m done with this job, I’m going to quit.”  The driver was dropped off at the front gate of the DPW lot on Reedbird Avenue, at which time he was permitted to retrieve his personal car and respond to Shock Trauma. After the driver left the scene, a DPW Division Manager arrived, prompting the call to the police and the response from an officer. The truck was then removed by DPW personnel.

After the driver arrived at Shock Trauma, he soon left to respond to the Northwest District Station at the request of BPD to give a statement. The driver elected not to provide a statement to the police. The driver was then accompanied to Mercy Medical Center for a drug and alcohol test. It should be noted that the first 911 call was placed at approximately 10:20 a.m., and the driver was not tested until approximately 5:50 p.m.

Read the case memorandum here.