A middle-aged man in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, died after he was knocked down by a minibus and crushed by another three vehicles whose drivers did not see him.

The man, who was aged over 40, was hit by the minibus while using a crosswalk. Three vehicles then ran over him.

When rescue workers arrived, the man was pronounced dead, a witness surnamed Ye told the city's Morning Express.

After the accident, the man's shoes, cigarettes and watch were scattered on the street. The watch had stopped at 7:45 pm, which might have been the time of the accident, the newspaper said.

An old resident nearby said he uses the crosswalk to buy food on the other side of the street.

"The vehicles are so fast that they never let passengers go first. Each time I have to watch for quite a long time to be sure it is safe to go," he said.

Morning Express did not say whether there are traffic lights near the crosswalk and said police were investigating the cause of the accident.