While backing a sport utility vehicle out of his driveway on Tuesday afternoon, a Kampong Cham deputy police chief ran over a nine-year-old boy, instantly crushing him to death in Kampong Cham town’s Boeung Kuk commune.

The young victim, Hanh Sokong, lived in Memay village, only about 600 metres from the home of Kampong Cham deputy police chief, Chem Senghong, according to Ly Chivon, a relative of the victim.

The village was experiencing some especially heavy rain at about 1:30pm on Tuesday afternoon when the victim wandered to Senghong’s front yard, where he found a pothole filled with rainwater. Trying to catch two small fish in the rain-filled hole, the boy lowered himself into the pothole.

Within a matter of moments, Senghong shifted his Land Cruiser into reverse and, unable to see the boy, ran over him, crushing him and immediately killing him from head trauma.

Chivon claimed that shortly after the accident, Senghong had given the family $2,000 as compensation for funeral costs but is still unsure whether or not it was enough for the victim’s parents.

“I do not know whether the victim’s parents will file a lawsuit against Senghong or not, because I was just the negotiator who thumbprinted for the deputy police chief and accepted the money from him [for the parents],” Chivon said.

Senghong told the Post yesterday that he deeply regretted the tragic accident and unintentional mistake.

“I sincerely apologised to the family and gave them $2,000 as compensation for the boy’s funeral. The victim’s family said it was partly their fault too because they were unaware of his activities and were not paying attention to him when it happened,” Senghong said.