Garbage truck strikes, kills woman in Niles

Staff report

NILES

A homeless woman was killed when she was run over by a garbage truck at 5:47 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot near Steak ’n Shake at the Eastwood Mall complex.

Wilma Hall, 66, died at St. Elizabeth Health Center about an hour after the accident, Capt. Ken Criswell. She had suffered massive trauma to her legs.

Hall had just walked out of Steak ‘n Shake after having spent several hours there. The Ohio Valley Waste garbage truck was passing to the side of the restaurant by Hometown Buffet when Hall ended up under the truck, Criswell said.

It is believed that Hall was run over by the rear wheels and not by the front of the truck, Criswell said, adding that the driver only realized Hall had been hit when he heard screaming.

Hall was wearing dark clothing, and the area is quite dark at that time of day, Criswell added. Officers checked and found that the lights on the truck were working properly, Criswell said.

“The driver was coherent and upset at what happened,” Criswell said. “It was just a tragic accident.”

After hearing the screaming, the driver got out of the truck and called 911.

Hall’s last known address was in Warren, Criswell said. She regularly walked from Youngstown to Niles, carrying a bag or two and an umbrella and was well dressed, Criswell said.

The garbage truck was on its way to load up a commercial trash receptacle at the time of the accident.