The aftermath of the fatal crash at an unprotected pedestrian crossing last night, where a 91-year-old man was killed by a taxi driver

A 91-year-old man has died after being run over by a 54-year-old taxi driver on a road in Tai Wai.

Mr Ho was crossing Chui Tin Street near Sun Chui Estate at about 9:20pm last night when he was struck by the taxi, driven by 54-year-old Mr Wong.

Ho, who was walking with his wife, suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital unconscious. He died at 10:30pm. His wife was unhurt.

Taxi driver Wong was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and is being detained for enquiries, police say.

The tragedy is already the third reported road fatality of 2023. Up to midnight last night, there have been 263 traffic crashes in Hong Kong this year, 94 of them with injuries.

The roads around the Tai Wai villages and estates are notorious for their “vehicles first” design, with long straight sections of roads barred to pedestrians and protected by railings

And the situation appears to be deteriorating further: on 28 December, just 200 metres from last night’s fatal crash, Pavilia Farm developers closed street access to one side of the famous “Octopus” pedestrian bridge, with pedestrians wishing to cross Hung Mui Kuk Road now forced to detour through an MTR mall.

On 28 December, just 200 metres from the crash, pedestrian access to a bridge was cut off, forcing pedestrians into a lengthy detour through a slogan-infested MTR mall