Around closing time Friday night, a store worker in Ledgewood Plaza in Roxbury Township carried empty boxes to the big cardboard compactor behind the building, threw them in and turned on the machine.

That’s when the screams started coming from inside the compactor.

Roxbury Police spokeswoman Jennifer Dillard said a 39-year-old man had crawled inside the machine earlier that night and was seriously injured when the compactor started crushing the boxes.

“He sustained serious injuries but nothing life-threatening,” Dillard said.

Police believe the man was intoxicated when he crawled into the machine in the plaza, near Best Cellars Wine & Spirits, Dillard said.

The worker who started the machine immediately switched it off and called 911 when the screaming started, she said.

Dillard said she did not know at which business in Ledgewood Plaza the worker was employed.

The man is being treated at a local hospital. Dillard said Saturday morning that she did not know his name.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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