A teenager almost suffered the ultimate fate last month after running away from a youth program after an argument with a staffer.
The 14-year-old survived repeated compacting in a garbage truck after workers unknowingly dumped him in, along with the contents of the large recycling container in which he was hiding.
Why was he hiding? Earlier that day, according to news and police reports, the teen ran away from his boot-camp style school – the Milwaukee Leadership Training Center – after arguing with one of his teachers. The school called the boy’s mother after the argument, but the teen left before his mother arrived.
Workers at a nearby recycling process center found the teen semi-conscious after he’d been in the truck for an estimated five hours. He was taken to a hospital but suffered no major physical injuries.
The Milwaukee Leadership Training Center is a charter school that serves students in grades five through 10 who are at risk of academic failure. The curriculum includes military protocols, drills and disciplines.
In July, child sexual assault charges against one of the school’s co-founders were dismissed after the prosecutor said his office had not been able to locate the alleged victim for weeks. Contact: Milwaukee Leadership Training Center (414) 874-8588, http://www2.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/dcs/dcs_school_5/mltc.htm.
