Two dead in tragic roadside twist

A truck driver who stopped to help a pedestrian he ran down was himself run over in a tragic and unusual accident, say police.

Geneva Pattison, 72, of Hastings was killed as he walked along a Hastings highway to help the man he had hit.

The pedestrian also died. Hastings police have identified the pedestrian killed as Neville Ramin Oppatt, 39, of Hastings.

Both men were dead when police arrived just after 7pm yesterday.

It had been an unusual and upsetting accident, Senior Sergeant Ross Smith, of Hastings, said.

"It took a little bit of working out what had happened."

Mr Smith said the pedestrian, wearing dark clothing, was walking along the side of the unlit State Highway 50A between Napier and Hastings when he was hit.

However, Mr Smith said the road was fairly wide with big grass verges.

"The truck driver has got out and tried to flag down some cars and he's been struck by another vehicle," he said.

No witnesses to the first collision had yet come forward, and Mr Smith said police were interested in hearing from anyone who had seen the accident, or the man walking along the highway.

The serious crash unit was examining the scene and vehicles, he said.

Hastings Fire Brigade senior station officer David Gray said the highway was closed between Omahu and Everden roads until just after 1am.

The fire service had received a call at 7.12pm, and had gone to the scene on the understanding a victim was trapped and in need of the jaws of life, Mr Gray said.