City employee dies in landfill accident

A city of Springfield employee died yesterday in an accident at the Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill.

Larry Flett, 62, was killed when a dump truck he was driving turned over and caught fire, according to a news release. Flett worked as a solid waste operations associate at the landfill for nearly two years and as an officer for the Springfield Police Department 1989-1998.

“This is a tragic day for the city of Springfield. We are deeply saddened by this death of one of our own and send our sympathies to the Larry Flett family and co-workers," interim City Manager Collin Quigley said in the release. "He was an integral part of our team, and his loss will be felt. He was a dedicated and loyal public servant."

Flett also was memorialized at Monday night's Springfield City Council meeting.

The Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill, 3545 W. Farm Road 34, was temporarily shut down after the accident on Monday morning and is expected to remain closed through Wednesday, according to the release.

The city’s Department of Environmental Services, which oversees the landfill, intends to conduct an internal review of the accident.