A respected former police officer was killed when his van veered off the road and crashed to a halt in a driveway culvert.
Leendert "Len" Hoek, 65, died at the scene in his Delica on Friday at about 1.45pm on Farndon Rd, near Clive in Hawkes Bay.
Hoek was the only person in the vehicle, although a small dog travelling with him was also killed in the accident.
Hastings Senior Sergeant David Sutherland said Hoek had worked as a constable in Napier from 1977 to 1988 and was most recently employed by Hohepa Homes, in Hastings, which caters for intellectually disabled young people.
Sutherland had spoken to Hoek's former colleagues who described him as a "good cop", "obliging" and "well thought of".
