Child dies as he and grandmother are hit by lorry

A SMALL child died after a lorry collided into a grandmother pushing a pram in Co. Down. The accident occurred in the village of Moira on Wednesday.

The community was said to have been left ‘reeling with shock’ following the death of the one-year-old boy.

The child, Frank Michael McIlduff, from Lurgan, was being pushed in a pram by a woman who is understood to be his grandmother when they were struck by a lorry on Wednesday. The woman, who is in her 60s, was taken to hospital for treatment for serious injuries.

Frank was described as a ‘precious son’ and ‘much-loved grandson’ in a death notice released yesterday.

Local Church of Ireland minister Joanne Megarrell, who had been holding a service nearby, spoke of the community’s grief in response to the tragedy.

‘The community is just reeling with shock with what has happened,’ she said. ‘They’re traumatised, trying to process the information that has come to them this morning, knowing that a one-yearold child has lost their life.’

She told BBC’s Good Morning Ulster: ‘The family has lost a little one and the grandmother is in hospital.’

PSNI Detective Sergeant Neil Harrison said: ‘We received a report shortly after 1.40pm that a lorry and two pedestrians had been involved in a road traffic collision. Officers attended the scene along with colleagues from the other emergency services. Sadly the boy, aged one, died at the scene. A woman, aged in her 60s, was taken to hospital for treatment to serious injuries. Our investigation is now under way to establish the circumstances of the collision.’

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said two ambulances, two officers and the NIAS Hazardous Area Response Team were dispatched to the scene.