The scene had been blessed twice, he said. The truck involved - which Fulton Hogan confirmed to the Northern Advocate was one of theirs - had been seized for a forensic investigation.
Parents of children who were friends with the youngster said their children could not stop crying.
The boy's league coach posted that his love and prayers went out to the whānau. He had played league on Tuesday and on Wednesday was meant to be on a school trip.
"As hard as it was to hear what had happened, it's harder now to know you won't be with us physically and it really shatters me deeply," he wrote, saying the boy would "never be forgotten".
Whau Valley School, where the boy was a student, posted on Facebook yesterday telling parents of the sad news.
"It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that one of our students died tragically this morning," principal Steve Jenkins wrote.
"Our thoughts are especially with whanau and friends at this time as we all come to terms with this loss and try to support each other as best we can.
"Tamariki can respond in many different ways after a death and there may be some upset students. I would like to reassure whanau that the school is supporting and carefully monitoring the wellbeing of our tamariki," the principal said.
School would continue as normal to help give the children some consistency as they grieved, he said.
