Mother may have been hit by truck

Catherine Matson. Photo / Supplied

Catherine Matson, who police believed could have been a victim of a hit-and-run near Matamata, may have been hit by a truck driver who went back to see what he had hit.

Ms Matson's body was found on the verge of SH24 in an industrial area on the eastern outskirts of the town early on Friday.

Police said it appeared the 43-year-old mother of two, who was wearing dark clothing but didn't have any shoes on, was a hit-and-run victim.

However, Ms Matson's older son, Micheal Dunstan, 26, said yesterday that a truck driver who thought he had hit something near where the body was found had contacted the police.

The driver had gone back to check but had not found anything he might have hit.

He reported the incident and his GPS co-ordinates at the time of the accident to police when he arrived in Auckland.

"As far as I know the guy said he had hit something," said Mr Dunstan. "He took the time and everything to look but he couldn't find anything."

Police did not return Herald calls to confirm this.

Mr Dunstan said his mother wanted to become a head chef and possibly travel the world.

She was a free spirit who wanted to be a gypsy but gained a reputation as a hard-working rousie at woolsheds, including a long stint at the farm where The Hobbit is being filmed near Matamata.

"It was the same thing there: everyone loved her as a worker, they'd been trying to get her back for a long time.

"She never asked for much for herself. She cared about other people more than she did for herself. She was really loved."

Ms Matson's younger son, Dexter Dunstan, said he had enjoyed a few drinks with his mum at a Matamata cafe on Thursday night before returning to his Putaruru home. It was the last time he saw her alive.

The Redoubt Bar & Eatery in Matamata, where Ms Matson worked, was shut on Friday by owner Jacob Henderson after he heard of her death.

Her funeral will be held in Putaruru on Wednesday.