Police release name of child killed on road

Police have named a three-year-old boy killed when he was accidentally run over at Houston Motors service centre in Nelson.

He was Cody Allan Thomson from Mahana, 20km south of Motueka.

Cody died on Friday after he ran in front of a four-wheel-drive vehicle being driven by a service centre employee at 11.35am.

Police believe Cody had been trying to reach his mother, who was in the office area of the Rutherford St business at the time.

Cody was taken to Nelson Hospital but died a short time later.

Detective Sergeant Mark Kaveney the family was devastated. The employee who hit the boy was also in "deep shock".

The death has been referred to Nelson coroner Ian Smith.

- NZPA