PORTLAND, Ore. - An autistic teenager is lucky to be alive after he was crushed inside a truck's compactor.

According to the boy's family, it all started when the young man went outside to stomp down debris in a yard container, slipped and got stuck.  Then the yard debris truck came by and picked up the container, dumping him in the truck.

About that time, the family called 911 thinking he might have run off or been kidnapped.  But when the truck driver stopped to pick up another container, he spotted the boy trying to climb out.  The driver stopped the truck and the boy fell out onto the ground.

The driver of the truck had already compacted the debris once while the boy was inside but it was only a quarter of the way full with light debris, which may have saved the teenager from being crushed.

The boy's pelvis is broken, he has bruises on his chest and he has cuts and lacerations on his face, elbows and knees.  His family said he will spend some time in a wheelchair.

The boy is not being identified due to privacy concerns.