Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
This diligent OAP has been found dead with his head in a rubbish bin after suffering a heart attack whilst checking he had recycled properly a day before his 80th birthday.
The incident took place in the neighbourhood of Valdebernardo, in the district of Vicalvaro, in the city of Madrid, the Spanish capital, on Saturday evening when 79-year-old Jose Maria San Martin was checking he had thrown his rubbish in the correct bin.
Local media report the OAP had thrown out the rubbish hours earlier but realised he had thrown one of the bags in the wrong bin and went to move it against the wishes of his wife Josefa.
A neighbour found the pensioner’s body with his head in a communal bin and the police were called. His wife then noticed he was taking longer than expected and went downstairs to find the police who asked her to bring her husband’s documentation.
When the officers saw the documents they confirmed to the woman that it was her husband who had been found dead. Forensic scientists have now confirmed the pensioner died of a heart attack. He did not become stuck in the bin, according to reports.
According to local media, Jose Maria – pictured here with another relative called Josefa – was grieving because his grandson, Victor Lopez, 20, died after crashing into a vehicle driven by an allegedly drunk man on 19th September in Madrid.
The driver was sent to jail charged with the crime of homicide and is awaiting trial. The case made headlines because the driver was released some days after the accident until a second judge sent him to preventative prison.
The family have started a change.org campaign to strengthen the penalties for “criminal acts while driving”. Almost 150,000 people have already signed.
Nine months before the OAP died, Victor’s brother died too, so Jose Maria and his wife lost two grandsons in the same year.
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