Published: September 06, 2008 11:25 pm      

Pedestrian death ruled an accident

Meridian police officials have ruled that an incident Friday morning in which a woman died after she was run over by a truck in a hospital parking garage was a tragic accident.

No charges will be filed against the 40-year-old driver of the truck.

Officials said Marie C. Payne, 78, of DeKalb, died at 12:15 p.m. Friday shortly after emergency surgery at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. The preliminary cause of death was reported as massive internal injuries.

Shortly before 9 a.m. Friday, Payne was walking through the third deck of the parking garage to a doctor's appointment. MPD authorities said the driver of the truck saw a parking space he had passed up and when he put the truck into reverse the driver said he felt a bump. The driver said he didn't realize anyone was behind him at the time.

Firefighters, policemen and emergency personnel from Metro Ambulance and from the hospital emergency room rushed to the scene only to find Payne pinned underneath the truck. A decision was made by emergency personnel to physically lift one side of the truck so EMTs could reach Payne.

Payne was extracted from under the truck and rushed to emergency surgery.