Police investigate after the fatal hit-and-run in Tsing Yi this evening: the man was dragged some 15 metres from a pedestrian crossing and left mortally wounded in the road

An 80-year-old man has been killed after being hit by a cement truck on a pedestrian crossing and dragged for around 15 metres under the vehicle.

Police report the victim, who has not been named, was crossing Chung Mei Road in Tsing Yi at 6:36pm this evening when he was hit by the truck and dragged underneath.

The truck driver continued driving, apparently unaware of the fatal smash and leaving the victim laying in the road with massive head injuries. Dashcam footage from cars approaching the scene a few minutes later showed the victim still laying in the road: one of those drivers called emergency services but the man could not be saved.

Police said the cement truck driver had fled the scene but they believed they would catch up to him and the truck “soon”.

The city has seen a spate of deadly and dangerous crashes involving cement trucks and construction tippers in recent months.

A cement truck killing a pedestrian in October highlighted poor safety and road conditions around China Concrete’s Yau Tong plants; 10 days after that tragedy another cement truck driver killed a 65-year-old man on a bicycle on Castle Peak Road, dragging him around 10 metres under the machine.

In August last year a China Construction dump truck driver killed a 68-year old woman in Kai Tak; and another construction tipper severely injured a woman in Cheung Sha Wan later that same day.

UPDATE 2 February 8:30am

Police have found and arrested the driver, Mr Tsui, 63. He is being held on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop after a traffic accident and failing to report after a traffic accident. The victim has been named as Mr Choi.