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The supermarket owner recalls the horrific moment staff rushed to save the life of an 11-year-old boy outside the store after a van pinned him against a wall.
- Child was trapped between ute and wall of Moulden Supermarket, Palmerston, NT
- He couldn’t be saved after the horrible accident on Tuesday afternoon.
- Staff and customers tried to save the child. Driver tested positive on road
A supermarket owner recounted the heartbreaking moment a boy was pinned against a wall and killed in a horrific car crash in the store’s parking lot.
The 11-year-old boy was in the car park of the Moulden supermarket in Palmerston, in eastern Darwin, at around 12:45pm on Tuesday when he was struck by a Dodge Ram van.
It is understood that the 54-year-old driver intended to back out, but accidentally “staggered” forward onto the sidewalk, pinning the boy, who was walking in front, between the van and the wall of the bottle shop.
Helen Harvey, the store’s owner, said staff returned to work after it closed on Tuesday.
The 11-year-old boy was in the car park of the Moulden supermarket in Palmerston, in eastern Darwin, at around 12:45pm on Tuesday when he was struck by a Dodge Ram van.
“It’s just a terrible tragedy,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
Ms Harvey said customers and staff desperately tried to save the boy, and one of them grabbed the store’s defibrillator, the NT news informed.
Tragically, he could not be saved.
“We are shocked,” he said.
Detective Sergeant Major Brendan Lindner said the boy’s death is being treated as a “tragic accident” and investigations are continuing.
NT police confirmed the driver tested positive on a roadside test, but police were still awaiting the results of a blood test and did not say what drug was detected.
The 54-year-old man has been released without charge pending further investigation.
The 11-year-old boy had traveled from the interstate to visit relatives.
Sergeant Lindner said paramedics were unable to save the boy, while his family witnessed the horror.
“It’s been a horrible incident for them to witness,” he said.
“You can only imagine what Christmas will be like for this poor family with the loss of their son and brother.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact the police.