John Derrick Dover fell from a Cherokee County garbage truck while his father was driving during a collection route.
GAFFNEY, S.C. — A 32-year-old sanitation worker died after falling from the rear platform of a Cherokee County garbage truck on his first day at work, according to the county coroner, who said the truck was being driven by the worker’s father.
John Derrick Dover of Gaffney was working with a county garbage collection crew at about 1:50 p.m. Aug. 17 when the truck turned from Bonner Road onto Hayes Road, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said. Dover was one of two workers riding on the rear platform as the crew collected roll-out trash carts. He fell from the truck during the turn and was taken by ambulance to Spartanburg Medical Center, where he died at 3:26 p.m.
Fowler said the circumstances were especially difficult because Dover had just started the job and his father was operating the truck. The coroner expressed sympathy for the family and said an autopsy would be conducted as part of the investigation. Authorities had not publicly announced a final autopsy finding or a more specific medical cause of death in the latest reports available Monday.
Cherokee County officials identified Dover as a new employee in the county’s Solid Waste Department. In a statement released after his death, officials said the county was gathering facts about the incident and wanted to ensure that information released publicly was accurate. The county also expressed condolences to Dover’s family, friends and coworkers.
The coroner’s account said Dover and another worker were positioned on the rear platform while the sanitation crew was collecting carts along its route. Publicly available reports have not identified an equipment malfunction or another specific factor that caused Dover to fall. They also have not reported any criminal allegation connected to the incident.
Authorities have not publicly said that Dover’s father, who was driving the truck, was suspected of wrongdoing. The coroner’s statement focused on the sequence of events and the investigation into Dover’s death rather than assigning responsibility for the fall.
Dover’s obituary said he was employed by the Cherokee County Sanitation Department and was from Gaffney. It identified him as the son of Billy Ford Dover and the late Judy Mullinax Owens. Funeral arrangements called for visitation and a service Aug. 24 at Gordon Mortuary in Blacksburg.
The death prompted public condolences from Cherokee County, which described the loss as heartbreaking for the community. County officials said after the incident that additional information would be released as confirmed facts became available, while asking the public to keep Dover’s relatives and county employees in their thoughts.
As of Aug. 24, no later reliable public report reviewed for this story announced a final autopsy result, a mechanical cause or a criminal finding in Dover’s death. The coroner’s investigation remained the latest publicly reported official review of the fatal fall.
Author note: Last updated August 24, 2026.