KEY POINTS:
The body of a King Country publican missing since Sunday morning was found yesterday, in his upturned ute, on an isolated rural road.
Stephen Keith Trangmar, owner and manager of the Te Anga Tavern left the pub at 6am Sunday in his Holden Rodeo ute to visit his friend in nearby Kinohaku.
Senior Sergeant Rob Van Kalken said Mr Trangmar's family contacted police yesterday morning when no one had heard from him.
A farmer called at 10am Monday to report an upturned vehicle in Teke Stream, about 30km west of Otorohanga.
"It was quickly established the upside down vehicle was Mr Trangmar's and his body was found still in the cab."
Mr Van Kalken said it appeared the ute left the road went through a fence and travelled 100m across a paddock before dropping 30m down a bank and ending up on its roof in the stream.
Mr Trangmar was believed to have been drinking earlier on Sunday morning but the cause of the crash has yet to be identified, Mr Van Kalken said.
The Waikato Serious Crash Unit was investigating.
- NZPA
