‘Close call’ for man sleeping in bin on Kerry street after it was tipped …

A MAN miraculously escaped crippling injuries when he was sleeping in a bin which was tipped into a refuse collection lorry in Kerry.

he incident happened on New Street in Killarney shortly after 7am.

Gardaí were alerted and arrived at the scene and closed off the road for a time. The road has since reopened.

The individual involved – who is not from Kerry but was visiting from another Munster county – was assessed at the scene and transferred to University Hospital Kerry (UHK) in Tralee for precautionary treatment.

His injuries are not understood to be life threatening.

However, a battery of tests are being conducted to determine the scale of injuries and possible fractures suffered by the man.

The man was left shocked and complaining of pain after the incident.

Sinn Féin Deputy Pa Daly called it a ‘close call’.

He said that if it emerged that the man was homeless, then it potentially exposed the wider problem of a shortage in emergency accommodation that ‘urgently’ needs to be addressed.

However, Kerry County Council confirmed the man is not on their register of people seeking accommodation in Kerry. 

The refuse company involved in the incident could not be contacted for a comment.

Gardaí are investigating the incident and are examining CCTV security camera footage to try to determine the precise circumstances in which the incident occurred.

Locals stressed that the man was fortunate not to have sustained crippling injuries in the accident.