Man dies after being hit by a road sweeper as police try and work out how it happened

A man in his 80s tragically lost his life on Monday after being hit by road sweeper in Leicester city centre, with a man now in custody according to reports

08:02, 15 Oct 2025Updated 08:03, 15 Oct 2025

The event happened in Leicester city centre

A man in his 80s has tragically died after being struck by a road sweeper, with another man now in custody.

Police have apprehended a man in his 60s on suspicion of causing death by careless driving after the council vehicle collided with the pensioner in Leicester on Monday, October 14.

Leicestershire Police were called to the scene in Holy Bones by the East Midlands Ambulance Service just before 2.15pm. Although the pedestrian was rushed to hospital a few hours later. Detectives with the Serious Collision Investigation Unit are now working in tandem with officers to establish what happened.

[A Bristol Waste road sweeper clearing foot paths around Anchor Road in Bristol, Monday 4 April 2022. Stock photo: litter, leaves, waste, power wash, trip hazard, fall, spring, summer, working alone, council tax, services, lone worker, obstacle, health and safety, PHOTO:PAUL GILLIS / Bristol Live]

Roadsweepers have operating speeds of 5-12mph (stock)(Image: Paul Gillis/Bristol Live)

Detective Sergeant Mike Steer said: We are working to understand exactly how the collision occurred following the sad news that the man died in hospital last night.

The vehicle involved was a Leicester City Council road sweeper. We are in contact with colleagues in the council and they are assisting us with our investigation.

Anyone who may have seen what happened is asked to call 101, quoting crime reference 25*602370.

The man was reportedly part of the a Sikh Gurdwara in Leicester. Some members have paid tribute after the tragic incident. The leaders said the pensioner, who has not been named publicly, was "loved by all".

Speaking to LeicestershireLive about the man, president of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara temple, Ajmer Singh Basra, said the news came as a "big shock to the local community". He said: "We couldn't believe it, everyone was so sad, it came as a big shock to us all."

According to the president, the pensioner was one of the longest-serving members of the temple as he joined the Gurdwara in 1968. Mr Basra said: "He joined the temple while it was still located in New Walk in 1968.

[ambulance ]

The pensioner was rushed to hospital but sadly died (stock)(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Road sweepers council vehicles deployed to sweep the road have an operating speed of between 5-12mph.

The top speed varies significantly by model and type, with older or smaller units reaching a top speed of 31mph. Some modern and electric models can reach up to 43mph.

In a separate incident in Greater Manchester last month, a man tragically lost his life at a scrapyard after a car fell on him.

The incident occurred at a site in Broadheath, Altrincham, with the man pronounced dead at the scene, according to police reports. Numerous emergency vehicles were spotted at the location, including police, ambulance and fire services.

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