A 30-year-old woman has died after getting trapped in a dumpster and ending up in a trash truck.
Stephanie Cox disappeared on January 30 after she climbed into a dumpster behind the Alamance Crossing shopping center in Burlington, North Carolina.
Her family said she often used to collect items from local dumpsters but when she didn’t return that day, the family reported her missing on January 30.
Cops in Burlington then found a vehicle behind the Alamance Crossing strip mall that belonged to Cox.
The car did not appear to be stolen.
When they saw the surveillance video from the shopping mall, they saw Cox climbing into a dumpster behind Boot Barn and Five Below.
The footage shows she didn’t emerge from the dumpster and then a garbage truck arrived and put the garbage in the truck.
Burlington police said in a statement: “A review of all associated video never shows others on the property until the truck arrived to service the dumpster.”
Her remains were found in a landfill on Monday.
It is believed that Cox climbed into the dumpster and then got trapped inside it.
She then ended up in the garbage truck and died.
Burlington police said: “This case brings to light the dangers associated with collections from dumpsters. The commonly known practice of “dumpster diving” is not safe.”
After Cox’s tragic death, her family and friends created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for funeral expenses.
The page reads: ‘My friend since high school went missing Wednesday. It was determined last night that she probably won’t be coming home due to a tragic accident.’
The page described her as the woman with the best sense of humor who was always there for her friends with positive encouragement.
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