Police cover the bloodstained front of the truck cab (photo: HK01)

Emergency crews struggled to save Ms Tam, 85, after she was struck by a refrigerated truck (photo: HK01)

A delivery truck mowed down and killed a pedestrian on a crossing in rush-hour Hung Hom this morning, its driver arrested for dangerous driving causing death.

Mr Ng, 24, was driving the large refrigerated truck, owned and operated by Lily Transportation, along Wuhu Street at 9.34am. Ms Tam, 85, was crossing the road at the junction of Dock Street and was knocked down by Ng.

Emergency crews rushed Tam to Queen Elizabeth hospital with severe head injuries and she was declared dead just 25 minutes after the crash.

Transport Department relaxed licensing requirements for commercial vehicle drivers last October, slashing the necessary experience to zero for drivers who pass their private car licence probationary period.

When asked if younger or less-experienced drivers were more dangerous on the roads, the government said the accident rates for less experienced drivers were “more or less the same” as for more experienced drivers. According to police, more experienced truck and bus drivers account for the slight majority of pedestrian deaths. Figures released by police in June show 53% of deadly pedestrian crashes involving trucks or buses were caused by drivers with over 10 years’ experience, and 35% by drivers with over 20 years’ experience.