Teenager killed in highway accident

An 18-year-old Bay man died after he was hit by a vehicle on the main road at Paengaroa - just a kilometre away from a similar accident three days earlier where a 96-year-old woman lost her life.

Laurie Stevens, from Paengaroa, was struck by a passing vehicle on State Highway 33, shortly before 7pm on Saturday.

He was hit by a Toyota ute near the McKenzie Rd intersection, outside the Paengaroa Motor Lodge and Motel.

Acting Senior Sergeant Mark Holmes, in charge of road policing in the Western Bay, said the driver of the ute was a 61-year-old man from Paengaroa who left the scene following the accident but called police afterwards. He was alone in the vehicle when the accident occurred.

Mr Holmes said alcohol was believed to be a factor in the crash but at this stage speed wasn't.

Police understand Mr Stevens was alone when he was struck.

Mr Holmes said pathology reports would determine whether he had consumed any alcohol.

Senior Sergeant Glenn Saunders said members of the victim's family arrived at the scene of the accident and watched as the 18-year-old was given CPR by St John Ambulance staff. However, Mr Stevens died at the scene.

Maketu Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy chief fire officer Eric Ashe, who was at the scene, said it was difficult to establish exactly what happened.

The piece of road was a 100km/h zone and he said Mr Stevens appeared to have been standing on a bend outside the driveway of the motel.

He said while police conducted the investigation, members of the Maketu Volunteer Fire Bri gade supplied lighting and blocked McKenzie Rd for about four hours.

State Highway 33 was also closed for several hours as police carried out forensic examinations.

Mr Saunders said the driver was assisting police and had not been charged at this stage.

Mr Saunders said specific details regarding the cause of the accident could not be released due to the nature of the ongoing investigation.

He said an inquiry had been launched and the cause of the accident was under investi gation by Serious Crash staff based at Greerton.

Paengaroa Motor Lodge and Motel manager, Tohu Ripeka, said Mr Stevens and his par ents were staying at the motel.

He said the boy's family had left the motel for the tangi, which would last seven days.

Mr Ripeka said the atmo sphere around the camp was "not really sad" and people were continuing with their everyday duties.

"A lot of the people staying in the camp come from differ ent parts of the world so this hasn't really affected them,"

said Mr Ripeka.

"Everyone is still going on and making their way to work."

Mr Ripeka said the road was not notorious for accidents. However, he said the stretch of road where Mr Stevens was killed was a "long sweeping bend" where drivers sometimes got complacent.

"When you stand outside [the motel] and look at the cars you can see some arro gant drivers overtaking," he said.

"I think if they had a police camera there, they could catch the speeders."

Owner of the Paengaroa Country Store, Mukhtar Singh, said the mood in the greater Paengaroa community was very sombre.

"Yes people are very upset," he said. "I found out yesterday morning by some one from Te Puke passing through. The boy was a local; maybe I knew him but I'm not too sure."

Anyone who may have wit nessed the accident or can pro vide any information regard ing Mr Stevens' movements prior to the accident should contact police.

Mr Stevens' death comes three days after the fatal acci dent of 96-year-old Joan Olive Tebbutt, as she attempted to cross State Highway 33 at Paengaroa.

Mrs Tebbutt was killed by a ute. She attempted to cross the highway in a 70km/h area, near Sunset Drive, shortly before 5pm on Thursday, April 8.

Mrs Tebbutt was attended by members of the public until emergency services arrived.

Mrs Tebbutt's 72-year-old son witnessed the incident and was comforted by members of the public, ambulance staff and victim support.