Victim of hit-and-run a keen walker

A likeable young Northland man run down and killed as he walked home from a party early on Sunday used to walk everywhere because he didn't have a car or a driver's licence.

Daniel Nathaniel John Guffogg, 24, of Maungaturoto, south of Whangarei, died on State Highway 12 less than 1km from the home in the township where he boarded.

"We all knew him. We all really liked him. He was a good hard worker," Transpread office manager Jayne Rankin said of Mr Guffogg, who worked in the fertiliser spreading company's machine shop as a trainee fitter-welder.

"We'd just talked him into taking certificate qualifications," she said.

Maungaturoto police said Mr Guffogg had walked east along the highway for about 12km after leaving a party in Paparoa in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He was found lying dead on the road with multiple injuries in an area known as the "S-bends" just outside Maungaturoto shortly before 5am.

Police believe he was hit and possibly dragged along the road.

Jayne Rankin said Mr Guffogg had previously lived in the railway settlement area of the town.

"If he had still been there, he might still be with us.

"He didn't have a licence or a car. He used to walk everywhere."

Mr Guffogg had worked at Transpread several times - on the first occasion straight from school.

His employer, David Hoyle, said Mr Guffogg had worked well at his firm. He felt the man known to his friends as 'Aus' because of some Australian origins had had a future with Transpread.

He had been with the company on the latest occasion for about 18 months and, under supervision, helped to build fertiliser spreaders.

Jayne Rankin said Mr Guffogg had also looked after his teenage brother in Maungaturoto until the brother returned to Australia. "Not many young men would be prepared to do that," she said.

Constable Llew Smart said police wanted to hear from anyone travelling on the State Highway between Paparoa and Maungaturoto between 2am and 6am on Sunday, and from anyone who spoke to Mr Guffogg at the party.

Information can be passed to Maungaturoto police on (09) 431-1150 or to the Whangarei police watch house on (09) 430-4583.