Clarification: Andover police confirmed that the victim was a five-year-old girl on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier versions of this story said the child was six.
A five-year-old girl was pronounced dead on the scene Tuesday after being struck by a tractor trailer while crossing at the intersection of Elm and Main Streets in Andover.
Latest developments:
While there are brick-lined crosswalks in the area, the street was repaved last week, and not all traffic lines and crosswalks have been repainted at the intersection adjacent to Memorial Hall Library.
The victim was not identified. The driver of the truck stayed on scene and was cooperating with police.
In a note to families, Andover Public Schools Superintendent Magda Parvey said the child was not a student in the district.
“I want to offer my sincere condolences to the family of the victim of this afternoon’s tragic vehicle accident in Elm Square…I recognize the Andover community may have known the victim’s family and the news of this tragedy may be difficult for our students and staff,” Parvey said. “Our mental health team and counselors will be available to students and staff tomorrow at our schools. We encourage anyone who needs assistance as a result of today’s tragedy to reach out to a counselor or social worker.”
The crash happened around 5:15 p.m. Other people who were in the crosswalk at the time of the crash were not injured but taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Witnesses told television news stations they saw an emotional woman holding the child, who was wearing a helmet. The driver of the truck works for Sysco.
“The Sysco family is heartbroken to learn of the tragic death of a pedestrian today in an incident involving one of our vehicles from Sysco Boston,” the company said in a statement. “We offer our condolences and prayers to the individual’s family and community and are grieving with them for their loss.”