Student killed cycling to school

A special prayer service will be held at a Gisborne school today for an 11-year-old student who was killed while cycling to school yesterday.

Campion College pupil Khan Craven was riding through a roundabout when he collided with a house-removal truck.

He was wearing a helmet but died at the scene.

College principal Paul McGuinness said a parent of another pupil saw the accident and called the school to say a student was involved.

Once Khan was identified as the victim Mr McGuinness said staff went with police to inform his family.

"To send your child off to school, then to find half an hour later your child is no longer with you. It's tragic."

Back at school students were also informed of the loss.

"To be honest we are just dealing with the shock of it and our priorities [yesterday] were to ensure the students were able to cope with what for a lot of them was their first experience with grief at this level," said Mr McGuinness.

"The students who could carry on with a reasonably normal day did so. Those who couldn't, there was a support system in place. Now we are just planning for what comes next."

Mr McGuinness described Khan as a keen soccer player and member of the school's Kapa Haka group.

"He was someone who was very keen to get on with things, very pleasant natured and was learning to grow more independently."

Today the family will join staff and students in a special prayer service, before Khan's body is taken to Te Kaha for a tangi.

It is understood Khan had three younger siblings, none of whom attended the college.

Gisborne Senior Sergeant Tony Gibson said police were still investigating the cause of the accident. The truck driver was not injured.