A garbage truck driver died Friday morning after his vehicle rolled over on a Don Valley Parkway on-ramp, trapping him for nearly two hours.

The crash happened on the Bloor Street East ramp to the northbound DVP around 5:30am. The truck apparently slid into a ditch and collided with a tree. Emergency workers finally freed the man just before 7:30am and he was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Another person was ejected from the truck when it rolled.

The City of Toronto issued a statement acknowledging that incidents like these are rare and expressing sympathy for both the deceased and the injured man.

A section of the northbound DVP around the ramp was closed off for the rescue, but reopened to traffic shortly after.

City Of Toronto Statement

On behalf of all Torontonians and all members of the Toronto Public Service we express our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and co-workers of the employee that passed away.  We also want to send our sincere wishes for a full recovery to the employee who was injured.

There are many jobs in the public service that require City workers to operate heavy and specialized equipment while serving the residents and businesses of the City.   While incidents such as this are very rare, it is a reminder of the importance of the work City staff perform on our behalf and we extend our gratitude for their service.

We wish to express our thanks to the many Toronto emergency services staff that responded to the scene from Toronto Emergency Medical Services, Toronto Fire Services and the Toronto Police Service.  We also wish to thank the members of the public that stopped at the scene to provide assistance.

The City will work with the Toronto Police Service, the Ministry of Labour, and the Toronto Civic Employees' Union Local 416 (CUPE) and Health and Safety staff to examine the circumstances surrounding the matter and take any actions that may be necessary to try and prevent such tragedies in the future.

The City's Employee Assistance Program is available to all of the co-workers of the employees.

City services are one of the most important contributors to the quality of life we enjoy in our City.  The men and women who deliver these services support that quality of life and have our respect and support.

Toronto Mayor David Miller and City Manager Joe Pennachetti