70-year-old man killed by reversing garbage truck in suburban Perth

A 70-year-old man known to neighbours for his regular walks was killed when a reversing garbage truck struck him on a suburban Perth street.

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It's heartbreaking, not easy because it's someone you see almost every morning when he's walking around trying to look after himself.

CCTV showed the man walking along Balaka Way in Queens Park at about 8:45 a.m. when the truck backed into him. An ambulance arrived within 10 minutes, followed by police and fire crews. Police said he suffered critical injuries and was taken to Royal Perth Hospital, where he died.

The man's wife saw him lying on the ground after the collision. Lily Chien, a friend of the family from church who translated from Mandarin, said the couple had been married for 35 years and had two daughters living in Beijing. She described him as quiet and said he had walked slowly since suffering a stroke several years ago.

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He always waves at me, he was a sweet man and he also took care of my cat a lot.

Neighbours said Balaka Way is an unfinished cul-de-sac with a development site at the end, leaving little room for trucks to turn around. Yuksel Terzi said he heard a loud bang and later saw police asking residents for footage. He called the death heartbreaking, while his daughter Neslihan said the man always waved to her and had often looked after her cat. The truck driver was not injured. Major Crash officers are investigating and seeking witnesses.

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Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the person's family, loved ones and all