By Christine Lavelle
A FIVE year old boy has been killed after being struck by a lorry while out playing on his bicycle this afternoon (tues).
Archie Dunbar had been cycling on Muirfield Drive in Gullane, East Lothian, when police say he was knocked down at around 2pm.
Lothian & Borders Police said the tragic tot was killed “instantly”.
The lorry driver, who police have not named, was said to have been suffering from severe shock and taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
It was too early to say how the accident happened.
The road was sealed off for investigations into the cause of the tragedy to begin.
Lothian and Borders Police said: “An investigation is now underway into the circumstances of the collision and we are appealing for witnesses.”
Police family liaison officers remained with his heartbroken family last night as they tried to somehow comprehend the horror.
Locals said they thought the youngster had been readying to start back in what would have only been his second year at primary school next week.
The scene, barely 100 yards from their front door, was a distressing sight.
The toddler’s brightly painted red coloured bike appeared to be snapped in half, its wheels buckled, under the weight of the large blue coloured lorry.
The tiny wreckage was finally taken from sight shortly before 6pm.
The dark blue coloured lorry, which had no distinguishing markings, was thought to have been on a run making deliveries at the time of the accident.
The front left hand tyre was punctured from what appeared to have been the impact.
It remained was cordoned off by police incident tape last night while a high visibility police Collisions Investigations Unit remained parked close by.
Inspector Colin Shillto, from the Galashiels road policing unit, said: “The family live less than 100 yards from where the accident happened and both parents were home at the time.
“The boy’s aunties and uncles live close by too, he was a real local boy.”
“He was out playing with his friends when the accident happened.
“There is no evidence to suggest the van had veered up onto the kerb.
“We will be going door to door and appealing for witnesses to try and piece together exactly what happened.”
“Investigations are ongoing.
“We have a couple of eyewitnesses to the event and we are speaking to them.
“The family are well known within the area and the community will be feeling this loss of life.”
“We are also speaking to the company who operate the lorry to find out what happened.”
Neighbours huddled in small groups whispering quietly, some appearing red eyed from crying.
One, who asked not to be named, said: “It is such a tragic accident, not only for the boy but for the driver too.
“We heard some commotion and realised something must have happened but by the time we looked outside we couldn’t see anything because the ambulance was there.
“I’ve seen the wee boy playing out on the street before. He seemed like a lovely little lad.
“For someone so young to be taken so tragically is really terrible.
“I don’t know how his family are coping. All my thoughts are with them.”
