News briefs from Northland: homicide victim named and Lotto win

The man who died at the Otaika Accomodation Park on Sunday was Hamuera Wilson, aged 23.

Homicide victim named

The 23-year-old man who died in Whangārei in the early hours of Sunday morning was Hamuera Wilson. Wilson, of Whangārei, suffered fatal chest injuries and died at the Otaika Accommodation Park about 12.30am on Sunday despite efforts to revive him. Detective Inspector Dene Begbie said a large team of police continued to work on the investigation and a number of people had been interviewed over the past five days, however no arrests have been made at this stage. Scene examinations had been completed and police were unable to comment further due to this being an active investigation.

Critical but stable

The 33-year-old woman injured when her vehicle was hit by an out-of-control car travelling at high speed on State Highway 1 in Moerewa was yesterday still in a critical but stable condition at Auckland City Hospital. Her 4-year-old son, one of three children in the car, was in a serious condition at Starship Children's Hospital. The family lives in Auckland but has close ties to the Far North. The 31-year-old driver of the offending vehicle fled the scene after the Sunday evening crash but handed himself in at Kawakawa police station the next morning.

Rescue helicopter needed

A person was injured after being crushed between a ute and a trailer on remote Mangataipa Rd, near Mangamuka in the Far North, about 2.30pm on Thursday. Police, St John Ambulance and the Kohukohu Fire Brigade attended. The patient, whose condition was initially described as serious, was flown to Whangārei Hospital by the Northland Rescue Helicopter.

Three-day hui

A wananga about He Whakaputanga (Declaration of Independence) and Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) is being held this weekend. The three-day hui, presented by the hapū of Whangārei, will host a number of speakers covering a range of topics from the environment, health and education, to an update on current mandates impacting hapū and unpacking the evolved Ngāpuhi mandate. The hui, held at Whangārei Terenga Parāoa Marae, starts today at 6pm and concludes on Sunday. For more information visit facebook.com/ngahapuowhangarei.

Bridge closed overnight

Te Matau a Pohe will be closed to pedestrians and road traffic overnight. The bridge will be closed from 7pm today until 6am tomorrow to enable the cleaning of bascule deck and beams. During this period, boats will still be able to travel through the bridge as per normal, but there could be a delay of up to 30 minutes to enable workmen to clear the bridge. Skippers planning on going through the bridge during this period are being advised to book in with Bridge Control. The contacts for Bridge Control are VHF Channel 18, or phone 021 401 752 or 09 438 7261.

First division winner

A ticket sold in Whangārei was among four that each won $250,000 on Lotto First Division on Wednesday. The winning tickets were sold at New World Regent in Whangārei, Pokeno Superette in Pokeno, Rolleston New World in Selwyn and on MyLotto to a player from Wellington. Powerball was not struck and has rolled over to Saturday night, where the jackpot will be $7 million.