‘Trash Raccoon’ Rides Garbage Truck From Rosslyn to Falls Church

by Tim Regan — February 17, 2017 at 1:15 pm 19 Comments

(Updated at 1:36 p.m.) A raccoon apparently took a wild ride through Arlington today.

Politico reporter Helena B. Evich first spotted an adventurous animal hitching a ride on the back of an American Disposal Services trash truck in Rosslyn a little after 11 a.m. this morning. ... Naturally, she tweeted about it:

Helena B. Evich
✔ ?@hbottemiller

This raccoon is having a rough morning-just wanted some trash & ended up in Rosslyn!

>And yes I alerted the driver

Evich also called American Disposal Services to report the creature she dubbed the “trash raccoon.” Eventually, that report made its way to Anna Wilkinson, the company’s communications director. ... “As soon as we found out that the raccoon was on the truck, the driver pulled over because we didn’t want the raccoon to get injured,” Wilkinson said.

By the time the driver pulled over, the truck had traveled all the way from Rosslyn to Falls Church. Wilkinson said she then called the Falls Church Police Department’s animal control team, who came to retrieve the skittish stowaway and make sure it was out of harm’s way.

“He looked like he was hanging on pretty tightly,” Wilkinson said. “The picture is adorable.” ... Wilkinson later confirmed the raccoon was removed safely and without harm.