Arabic version: وفاة رجل بعد رجوع شاحنة نفايات إلى الخلف في كوينز بارك
According to ABC News, a 70-year-old man has died after a reversing garbage truck ran over him in the Perth suburb of Queens Park on Monday morning. CCTV footage captured the incident on Balaka Way at about 8.45am. Police said the man suffered critical injuries and was taken to Royal Perth Hospital, where he could not be saved.
An ambulance arrived within 10 minutes, followed by police and fire trucks. The 59-year-old driver of the garbage truck was not injured. Major Crash officers are investigating the incident and have appealed for witnesses.
Friends and neighbours described the man as quiet and sweet. Lily Chien, a friend of the family from church who translated from Mandarin for the man’s wife, said he had walked slowly after suffering a stroke a few years earlier. She said his wife had been preparing to travel to English language classes in the city when she saw him on the ground.
The couple had been married for 35 years and have two daughters living in Beijing. Residents said the man was well known on the street and regularly took morning and afternoon walks. Balaka Way is an unfinished cul-de-sac with a development site at its end, leaving trucks without room to turn around.
Canning Mayor Patrick Hall said the city was deeply saddened by the death and offered sympathies to the man’s family, loved ones and others affected. He said support was being provided to the staff member involved, while the city would review the circumstances and take appropriate steps to improve safety if needed.