Police identified the victim as 75-year-old Harold Howard and said no charges had been filed as the investigation continued.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A 75-year-old man using a motorized wheelchair was killed after being struck by a city-owned garbage truck at a North Side intersection, according to Rochester police, who said Friday that no charges had been filed.
Police identified the man as Harold Howard, a Rochester resident. The collision happened around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Hudson Avenue and Warsaw Street. Officers responding to a report of a pedestrian struck found Howard dead at the scene. Investigators said the garbage truck was owned and operated by the city of Rochester.
According to the preliminary police investigation, the garbage truck was traveling east on Warsaw Street and was attempting to make a left turn to head north on Hudson Avenue. At the same time, Howard was traveling north in his motorized wheelchair along the west shoulder of Hudson Avenue. The truck struck him during the turn, police said.
The garbage truck driver, a man in his 50s, was not injured. Investigators said there was no indication that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. Police have not publicly announced a determination of fault or explained whether visibility, roadway conditions, speed or other factors contributed to the collision.
Witnesses told local television station WHAM that Howard’s wheelchair became trapped beneath the front of the truck after the collision. Carl Canty, who arrived shortly afterward, described people at the scene as distraught. Authorities have not released additional details about the moments immediately before the impact.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans offered condolences to Howard’s family and friends after the crash and said city officials were committed to determining what happened. Evans said the city also wanted to examine what could be done to prevent similar deaths. The collision involved a municipal sanitation vehicle, putting both the police investigation and the city’s response under public attention.
The crash also comes as Rochester continues broader efforts to address traffic and pedestrian safety. However, police have not said whether any roadway or accessibility issue at the Hudson Avenue and Warsaw Street intersection contributed to Howard’s death. Investigators have limited their public findings so far to the movement of the truck and wheelchair before the collision and the absence of suspected drug or alcohol impairment by the driver.
Howard’s identity was released in an Oct. 30 update. Police said no charges had been filed and the investigation remained active. Authorities have asked anyone who witnessed the crash or has video that could help investigators to contact police.
No further findings about the driver or the cause of the collision had been publicly announced as of Saturday. The Rochester Police Department continues to investigate how the city-operated truck struck Howard and whether any additional action will follow.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.