Hitchhiker witness comes forward

Shelagh Cotter. Photo / Supplied

A hitchhiker picked up by a suspected drunk driver before he crashed into a woman who was picnicking on the side of the road, causing fatal injuries, has come forward, say police.

Police yesterday said the alleged offender, who crashed into the stationary car of Shelagh Cotter near Te Horo, north of Wellington, had picked up a hitchhiker about 9.30am on SH1 in Paraparaumu, travelling northbound.

The fatal crash, two hours later, was just a 15-minute drive away.

Police say as a result of media coverage, the man came to Wellington Central Police station this morning and identified himself as the hitchhiker. He is now helping police as a witness.

Shelagh Cotter, 69, died in hospital after the Saturday morning crash which flung her 10m over a fence.

She had been sitting in the driver's seat of her car, parked on a grass verge with the door open, enjoying a coffee and a muffin.

Her friend Marilyn Jeffery, 62, who was sitting on grass next to the car, suffered fractures and severe bruising.

The alleged offender, a 37-year-old Lower Hutt man, was tested after the crash at three times over the limit.

Family pay tribute

The family of a woman killed when a suspected drink-driver drove into her picnic say they are devastated by the death of a loving, hard-working woman who "tried to get the most out of life".

In a statement delivered via police today, Mrs Cotter's family paid tribute to a woman who was "always on the go".

"Shelagh was a devoted wife to David Cotter, loving mother and mother in-law to Kathleen and Steve respectively, and an amazing grandmother to 9-year-old Joshua," they said.

Mrs Cotter and her husband had emigrated from Wales in the early 1970s to begin a new life in New Zealand.

She had retired after working as a secretary at the former Wellington Polytechnic school of engineering and was "a highly motivated person who was hard-working, always setting herself goals and tried to get the most out of life".

Her passions were gardening, cooking and family.

"Shelagh's face would shine with quiet satisfaction when she received complements about her beautiful garden and delicious meals," the statement said.

The family said that Mrs Cotter was always on the go looking for things that would hold her interest and kept up-to-date with current affairs.

The family said it was devastated by the death of "a very special person" and needed time to grieve in private.