Steven Cranston death: Police appeal for more information as investigation continues

Police have issued a further appeal to the public for information surrounding the death of Steven Cranston on State Highway 23, near Raglan.

Cranston, 43, died on the night of September 4 when he was hit by a car while walking his Rhodesian ridgeback Hans on Nau Mai Rd near Raglan.

Cranston was filmed walking in the middle of the dark road before he was fatally struck.

In a statement released today, Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke said police enquiries into the death were ongoing.

“Police continue to investigate the death of a man on State Highway 23 near Raglan,” Clarke said.

“We would like to thank those people who have already contacted police with information, as a result of an earlier appeal.

Steven Cranston, 43, died on the night of September 4 when he was hit by a car while walking his Rhodesian ridgeback Hans on Nau Mai Rd near Raglan.

“If you have information which could assist our enquiries, but have not yet contacted police, please update us online now or call 105.”

Clarke said any member of the public with information regarding the circumstances surrounding Cranston’s death should use the reference number 240904/4878 when in contact with police.

A resident told RNZ that Cranston had been walking his dog in the middle of State Highway 23 and other roads around the coastal Waikato town and that she made multiple 111 calls asking for help.

Now the friend – who did not want to be named – said she could not comprehend what led Cranston to walk around Raglan for hours holding up traffic and putting himself, his dog and others in danger.

“He wasn’t the kind of guy who took drugs or was a big drinker, and he was a very careful dog owner.”

On Friday, the Herald obtained footage taken before he was fatally struck.

The video shows Cranston holding up traffic while walking in the middle of the road in the dark, with an apparently off-leash dog by his side.

A man was seen walking on the middle of the road in the dark on SH23 Raglan before he was fatally struck by a car.

‘He liked fighting for farmers’

Bradley Cranston, of Whangārei, confirmed to RNZ it was his brother who died and said details were sparse and he was confused about what happened.

Steven worked as a farm management consultant at AgFirst in Hamilton but left in 2016 to start his own business, Steven Cranston Consulting.

Bradley said his brother, who went to Kamo High School, had been managing a farm and became passionate about advocating for farmers.

“He liked fighting for farmers, trying to stand up for farmers, people he thought were being suppressed.

“There wasn’t a lot of people doing it and he copped quite a lot of flak for it. But I think it was a really important thing and he was actually doing some really good work there.”

He also had political aspirations when at one point was a candidate for Democracy NZ in Waikato. He was also a member of Groundswell NZ.

Bradley described Steven as a social guy who had a good sense of humour and was into sports, playing rugby and later cycling and tennis.

“He’s just one of those people that likes to be out doing stuff. We used to go surfing quite a lot.”

Steven had just celebrated his 43rd birthday on 28 August and Bradley spoke to him that day.

“He said he was planning a trip up soon. No one obviously saw this coming.”

Bradley said his brother had had a few set backs this year, splitting up with his partner earlier on, but nothing he thought he could not handle.

“I think he was going through a few tough times. He’d had a few knocks, a few things not going his way but speaking to him, he seemed optimistic I thought.”

Bradley said he had questions about the circumstances in which his brother died.

“I can’t get my head around why he was walking where he was. Like why would you drive out to Raglan and then start walking back into town?”

Steven was also survived by his parents and Bradley said the family planned to bring his brother’s body home on Saturday for a funeral in Whangārei next week.

Police response

Police told Waikato Herald they received several reports from about 5pm on September 4 of a man being seen walking with a dog on SH23.

“Police then received information the person had moved off the road, and a response was not prioritised due to there no longer being an immediate risk to safety,” a police spokesperson said.

“About 6.45pm, further reports were received that he was again sighted on the road, and then at 6.55pm police received a report that a crash had occurred.”

Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing and police are still appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

The IPCA confirmed it had received a complaint on September 5 about the incident.

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.