KEY POINTS:
The driver of a logging truck that killed a schoolgirl is unlikely to face charges - even if police can find him.
Breeze Brunton was killed instantly when she was struck by a laden truck as she crossed a busy road to reach her Mt Maunganui school on June 4.
Police crash analyst Senior Constable Chris Hills said CCTV footage from surrounding companies was being used to narrow down the hunt for the driver.
But he said there was "quite a high probability" no charges would be laid because the driver was unlikely to have seen Breeze or heard the impact.
The 13-year-old appeared to have been hit in the middle of the road, suggesting she had chosen to cross and for an offence to be committed there had to be "guilty knowledge".
"There would most probably not be any criminal liability, but we have an obligation to the family and the young girl to at least talk to the driver."
Hills said the investigation was about "closure" for Breeze's family.
Several trucking companies in the Bay of Plenty had supplied vehicle movements through their GPS systems but the investigation had been hampered by varying descriptions of the truck - including colours and styles.
Breeze's family said they did not blame the driver for the bubbly teen's death. Mother Shanon Manning said she was "still coming to terms with my daughter dying" and was drawing support from her friends and family.
"We just think it was a pure accident really. We've been in contact with the police every day and they're excellent. They're doing the investigation as best as they can."
She said her daughter "lived for the family" and didn't like anyone being sad. "I am going to miss her terribly, she hung around with me heaps."
Nevertheless, local truck drivers said they had felt a public backlash from the accident.
"You can sense there's an elevated discomfort of large trucks," said Sam Sinclair, transport manager of Mike Lambert Ltd.
The trucking company has been eliminated from police inquiries after supplying details of the whereabouts of its 70 trucks at the time Breeze was killed. But Sinclair was concerned the driver hadn't come forward. "Someone's obviously frantically trying to convince themselves it's not them."
