Australian dies in rubbish bin prank

SYDNEY - A 22-year-old Australian died when the wheelie bin he and a friend were riding down a hill crashed into a tree at high speed, New South Wales police said Sunday.

The deceased, who was in the rubbish bin with a 19-year-old friend, sustained head injuries.

“They travelled a distance of about 300 metres before they lost control and collided with the curb,” police spokesman Bruce Coates said.

“This was the second bin to travel down on the night. A gentlemen went down on a bin by himself immediately prior to this and he made the ride without being injured.”

Coates said the men, at Umina, near Sydney, had been drinking.

“Obviously, riding rubbish bins down public streets is not something you should be doing,” he said.