Moment son is crushed to death by his own dad in tragic accident – as witness describes father’s terrible screams

A WITNESS has recounted the terrifying moment a father seemingly crushed his son in an accident in New York City earlier this week.

Ommatt Cruz, 19, was killed in Manhattan's East Village on Friday morning after he was run over by a forklift driven by his father, Victor, during a construction operation.

The New York City Police Department said that the incident occurred around 8:40 am when Cruz was “acting as a guide to assist with traffic control” while his father, 42, was backing the forklift in the road, per the New York Post.

Tragedy struck when the lift caught the 19-year-old's leg and sucked him under its tires.

"When the lift entered the intersection, it struck and knocked down the 19-year-old and drove over him,” cops told the outlet.

Nearby surveillance footage captured the scene, where Cruz could be seen walking close to the forklift between cars when he appeared to bump into the lift and fell.

Bystanders could be seen in shock and disbelief at the incident — including Georgia, a New York City resident who recalled the moment they saw what happened on their way to their job.

"I was going for a walk in the morning and saw the machine moving in the middle of the road, but it didn’t seem to me as if the boy in the road was directing traffic," she said in an exclusive conversation with The U.S. Sun.

"I was very confused as to what was going on since traffic on First Ave was approaching. Next thing you know, I look back over and the boy is on the ground and everyone was screaming."

Georgia continued that it felt to her as if "the world stopped."

"Everyone was standing there, so unsure as to if he was alive," she noted of the 19-year-old.

She explained that Victor exited the motor vehicle immediately and was screaming out at the sight of his son on the ground.

Police nearby then arrived swiftly and attempted to revive Cruz through CPR, along with first responders who came soon after, according to Georgia.

"After about 20 minutes they left and the body was covered with a white sheet," she told The U.S. Sun.

"He was left there for about an hour or so. Maybe 10 cops cars were there blocking off of road from 6th - 8th street since it turned into a crime scene."

"It was truly a sad and horrific accident, especially once I found out it was a father and son," she added.

There have been no arrests in the case thus far, and the NYPD explained that the accident is still being investigated, but they do not suspect any criminality.

"The matter is still under investigation. At this time, there doesn’t seem to be any criminality,” a spokesperson told the New York Post.

A neighbor of the Cruz family, Rafael Roman, 54, explained that the 19-year-old and his father spent much time together.

He told the publication that the pair were "always doing something together, whether it was working on cars, working on motorcycles.”

Roman claimed Cruz "was either in school or he was with his dad. That’s it.”

The neighbor also said that Cruz has a younger brother and sister, and the family is currently in the process of making funeral arrangements — something they still "can't believe."

"I can’t – I’m still, I can’t even believe it happened. I really can’t," Roman noted.

“And so close to the holidays too? It’s never going to be the same…I have to go say my condolences.”