Tight-knit community shocked by homicide

Police in Hawke's Bay have launched a homicide inquiry after a man found with serious injuries on Maraekakaho Road on Sunday has died. Photo/Warren Buckland.

A Bridge Pa resident said she heard "yelling and screaming" the night a man who later died was discovered with serious injuries near her home.

Shock waves reverberated through the rural Hastings settlement yesterday as news broke that Police had launched a homicide inquiry following the death.

Emergency services were called to a private address on Maraekakaho Road at 6.40pm on Sunday evening where a man had been found with serious injuries. It is believed he had critical head injuries.

The victim was initially taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital in a critical condition and then transferred to Wellington Regional Hospital near midnight for "further specialist treatment". It is understood he died yesterday morning.

A Capital & Coast District Health Board spokeswoman referred all questions to police.

Soon after the incident, a Police spokesperson said it appeared to have been a hit and run, but that has not been confirmed since.

Detective Inspector Mike Foster said a post mortem is expected to be conducted today.

"Police are speaking with two people in relation to the death and are not looking for anyone else at this stage.

"One of them, a 61-year-old man, has been charged with assault with intent to injure, and will be appearing in Hastings District Court today."

Police were at the scene, close to Raukawa Rd throughout the day, where cordons, blue tarpaulin and later, crime investigation tents had been placed on either side of the road.

The usually quiet road was lined with cars for a tangi at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints not far from where the incident occured, in an eerie coincidence.

A resident said she realised it was serious only when police knocked on their door at about 8pm on Sunday to say a "man had been found injured next door".

Others did not know what had happened but recall hearing sirens, as the first indicator something was not right.

Another resident, who did not want to be publicly identified said the tight-knit community could not believe what had happened.

"Nobody is very clear about what he was doing here or who he was."