Politician linked to crash fatality

Well-known West Auckland local body politician Warren Flaunty is understood to have been involved in a motor accident in which a motorcyclist died.

"I can't make any comment. I have heard nothing from the police," Mr Flaunty said last night.

Blair Titmus, 35, died on Saturday after his motorcycle and a right-turning car collided on Hobsonville Rd and he was run over by another vehicle. He died at the scene.

Acting Sergeant Colin Nuttall of the Waitemata serious crash unit had no comment about whether Mr Flaunty "was or was not in the crash" while the matter was being investigated.

Investigations of fatal accidents typically took six weeks to four months to complete, he said.

The Herald learned about Mr Flaunty's involvement through two sources at the Auckland Council.

It is believed he was a driver of one of the two motor vehicles.

One politician said: "It's a sad situation with whatever happened. It's in the police and lawyers' hands and that is where it rests until such time as Warren wants to say something."

On Saturday, as police were busy clearing the road and examining the scene, Mr Titmus' partner, Donelle Lawson, approached them and asked what was going on.

Sergeant Mars Dempster said: "She asked to see him and we allowed her to do that, poor girl."

Mr Flaunty has been a Massey businessman and pharmacist for more than 40 years and is the country's most elected local government politician.

At last year's elections he was elected to the local boards of Rodney, Upper Harbour and Henderson and re-elected to the Waitemata District Health Board and the Waitakere Licensing Trust.

As a member of the DHB, he has campaigned for tighter controls on codeine and pseudoephedrine, ingredients used in making P.