A nine-year-old boy died yesterday after being struck from behind by a sport utility vehicle (SUV) at a charity marathon in Changhua County’s Erlin Township (二林), police said.
The fatal accident occurred yesterday morning on a stretch of Rulin Road that had been closed for a marathon raising money for the Joyce-Polio Care Association, the Changhua Police Bureau’s Fangyuan Precinct said.
As the marathon was taking place, a 50-year-old man, surnamed Yang (楊), turned from an industrial road onto a closed portion of Rulin Road, where several of the runners’ families had gone to cheer them on, police said.
After turning north onto the road, Yang struck the nine-year-old boy from behind, leaving him in cardiac arrest. He was rushed to Erlin Christian Hospital with severe injuries to the head and was declared dead about an hour later.
Police said the cause of the accident was still being investigated.
Yang did not have any alcohol in his system and told authorities that he did not know how he ended up hitting the boy, they added.
The marathon’s organizer said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened” by the incident and would offer its full support to the boy’s family.
The Joyce-Polio Care Association said it had purchased all legally mandated insurance for the event, but declined further comment pending the completion of the police investigation.
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