Tracking down a trash truck in Hewlett

Changing handbags is a very common occurrence for most women, but what happened to Hewlett’s Kelly Youse is rare and won’t be forgotten for a long time.

She had received a new bag from her mother for her 30th birthday and had emptied the old bag (where her engagement ring was) into the trash the previous night (March 23). She had taken it off and placed it in the bag before cleaning up. Kelly didn’t remember where she had put the ring until the following morning

“I ran out into the hallway and saw the garbage was gone,” Kelly said. “I was in shock, I could barely breathe, and I started getting sick. My anxiety was through the roof.”

Kelly frantically asked her mother-in-law, Susan Youse, if the garbage had been picked on the morning of March 24. Susan said yes and Kelly screamed out “oh no.”

After searching her dresser three times Kelly didn’t know what to do. To her the ring is much more than a material possession. It symbolizes the love between her and husband Michael. They have known each other since they were 14. They have a nearly 3-year-old son.

“I was in complete panic and decided to go look for the garbage truck,” Susan said. “Yes, I thought how crazy is this. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”

First Susan looked for the truck thinking it wasn’t that long ago that the trash was picked up. But after her search turned fruitless she called Sanitary District 1 and was helped by officials.

“I said I have sort of an emergency, an engagement ring is in the garbage bag the truck just picked,” Susan said. “As I was speaking, the garbage truck passed the house.”

She ran to her car and tracked down the truck. Susan thought the driver might have thought her to be insane. He told her that two more blocks of garbage were just dumped on top of her bag. Susan said she would recognize her bag.

“That week I ran out of the usual bags and grabbed our 55 gallon leaf bags without ties,” she said. “I knew the bags were thicker and a different color with no ties.”

Now knowing her bag should be near the rear of the truck, she got district officials to stop the truck from continuing its route and followed it to the yard. At least a half dozen sanitation workers helped Susan look for her bag and hopefully the ring. Another truck continued pickups.

“I was completely stressed at this point looking at many garbage bags and being asked by the men is it ‘this one or this one,’” she said.

Then one man picked up a bag and Susan said yes, that is the one with two white bags inside. Carefully, they went through the bags and all of a sudden there was the ring and one relieved mother-in-law. “They responded so quick it was unbelievable,” Susan said. “It took a total of 20 minutes from when I stopped the truck and recovered the ring at the yard.”

Sanitary District I officials said it was a good thing that Susan reacted quickly as about four hours later that garbage is moved to a processing plant in Garden City. “We immediately stopped the truck and narrowed down the bag,” said District Superintendent Phil Mistero, who noted the good procedures in place that allowed the ring to be found.

With the ring safely back on her finger, Kelly said she is grateful for the actions of Susan and the sanitation crew. “My mother-in-law put on a cape and helped do the impossible,” she said. “I couldn’t believe what she and those guys did.