A hydraulic malfunction on a Waste Management truck Monday morning in Bogalusa caused a considerable amount of garbage to be prematurely deposited in the roadway at the intersection of Carolina Avenue and Austin Street.

The Bogalusa Police Department was first alerted to the problem at 9:03 a.m. Police officers blocked off lanes of Carolina Avenue and Austin Street. A front end loader was called in to pick up the garbage, along with the assistance of city jail prisoners.

Waste Management driver Troy Cousin estimated a significant amount of his load had escaped before he became aware of the problem.

“All of a sudden, the hydraulics on the tailgate opened up, and I had to shut the pump off when I realized it,” Cousin said. “It kept opening up more and more. The hydraulics won’t let the tailgate close.”

Cousin has driven for WM for six years. He estimated “10 to 15 yards” of garbage escaped from the back of the truck. When Cousin realized he had a problem, he parked his truck in Popeyes’ parking lot as he waited for the garbage to be removed from the roadway.

“I felt a strain on the motor. I turned off the main street when I realized the trash was coming out of the truck,” Cousin said.