Police are investigating the death of a man who was struck by a car while lying on an unlit rural road east of Papakura.
Sergeant Darryll Horn of Papakura police said the 43-year-old male died at the scene after he was run over on Hunua Rd at 4am. The driver of the car remained at the scene and is cooperating with police, he said.
"It is understood that the man was lying on the road before he was run over," Sergeant Horn said.
The name of the dead man will not be released until he has been formally identified.
Resident Sailau Ulugia said she was watching TV about 3am when she heard a noise which sounded like the brakes of a stopping vehicle.
"It was just an unusual noise for us to hear. I had to come out the door and check but there was nothing. The noise seemed a bit odd, we've never heard that noise before."
Police asked for information from anyone in the area between 2am and 4am, who "possibly saw something strange that they may not have realised was a person on the road."
Cordons blocked both ends of Hunua Rd until 11am Sunday.
Anyone with information can contact police on 09 261 1300, or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A similar incident occurred near the small Otago town of Maheno overnight, with an 18 year old man was struck and seriously injured by a milk tanker as he was walking on State Highway 1 at 1.12am.
- NZME.
