James Edward Oakley, a 58-year-old man living on the streets of Vallejo, was found dead at a site in Vallejo on Christmas Eve. The city of Vallejo has confirmed that Oakley was crushed to death during a public works operation. Initially reported as an accidental death, the incident has raised questions surrounding the circumstances leading up to this tragedy.
A sheriff's deputy was dispatched to the scene after the unfortunate discovery. Earlier in the day, a public works crew was conducting a sweep of the area where Oakley had been staying. The crew observed a mattress covered with a tarp, tote bags, and a shopping cart filled with bags of trash. Despite seeing Oakley at the site earlier, waste management workers initially decided not to collect trash from that particular area.
Later, the crew returned with a backhoe to clear the site. The backhoe's front bucket was used to compress the mattress and scoop up Oakley, resulting in his death. Though the city of Vallejo confirmed Oakley's death as an accident, they have not provided specific details about the events leading up to it. Additionally, there was no indication that Oakley had been instructed to vacate the site before the clearing operation commenced.