Police investigate a near-fatal smash where a woman was dragged under a dump truck on a busy Cheung Sha Wan street

A woman collecting cardboard for recycling is in critical condition in Princess Margaret Hospital after she was struck and dragged three metres by a heavy construction truck on a busy Cheung Sha Wan street this afternoon.

The crash happened just before 5pm at the junction of Po On Road and Tonkin Street. Driver Mr Fan, 35, was driving along Tonkin Street when he struck Ms Mai, 66, who eyewitnesses said was collecting cardboard onto a trolley.

Mai was dragged for three metres after being run over and trapped under the wheels of the scruffy orange truck, according to reports, leaving a horrific blood trail on a street packed with pedestrians and gridlocked by traffic.

A police source said officers initially thought it must be a fatal case, given Mai’s injuries.

Police arrested truck driver Mr Fan, 35, for dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.

The horrific crash was the second collision involving a dump truck today – this morning, a tipper truck driver believed to be working for a China State Construction project was arrested after striking and killing a female pedestrian on Concorde Road, Kai Tak.

“Police strongly condemn the irresponsible driving behaviour of the driver. It not only jeopardises the safety of other road users and threatens one’s personal safety, but is also the actual cause of serious traffic accidents. Police do not tolerate such acts and will take resolute enforcement action,” police later said of that crash.