This is the shocking moment a telegraph pole is knocked over by a huge mechanical excavator and lands on a delivery driver – killing him instantly.

The shocking incident happened in Taizhou, which is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu province in eastern China.

CCTV images capture the moment the huge mechanical digger gets caught up in a large number of electrical cables, which, in turn, pull over the telegraph pole.

It topples over and lands squarely on the driver of a three-wheel delivery vehicle, who is apparently killed instantly.

The cement pole, which was around six metres tall and 30 centimetres wide, apparently broke at the base before toppling over onto the street.

Passersby rushed over to lift the pole off the man, but he was pronounced dead on the scene.

Police later turned up and arrested the driver of the excavator, which was being loaded onto the back of a lorry.

They confirmed that they are investigating to see whether the incident could have been avoided and whether the operator is liable to prosecution.