Hit-and-run boy out of hospital

Rute Tuinukuafe with her 3-year-old son Joseph after his return home from Starship hospital. Picture / Richard Robinson

Joseph Tuinukuafe, the toddler seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident, was released from hospital in Auckland yesterday.

As the 2 1/2-year-old said goodbye to staff at Starship, police were making good progress in the hunt for the motorist who left him lying unconscious in the middle of the road.

Police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said police were following some "reasonably strong leads".

She would not comment on whether those leads came from a person who reportedly walked into a police station with information about the driver yesterday.

Ms Hegarty said no one had voluntarily handed themselves in to police.

Joseph was left badly bruised, with part of his thumb torn off and internal bleeding round his liver, after being hit by a grey or silver Honda about 8pm on Saturday.
Witnesses say he flew so far that it looked as if he had been thrown out of the car window.

After hitting Joseph, at the intersection of Pine and Oxton Rds in Sandringham, the driver kept going.

Police say there would be visible damage to the car and have appealed for panelbeaters and auto-electricians to keep an eye out.

Joseph's mother, Rute Tuinukuafe, said her son was much better and getting back to his usual self.

"He's talkative, started playing around and is laughing a lot."

Mrs Tuinukuafe said she had not heard any news yet on the driver, whom she had urged to hand themselves in to police.