No charges over pedestrian deaths

No charges will be laid after the death's of two pedestrians.

No charges will be laid against the drivers involved in the deaths of two pedestrians in the Far North in the early hours of January 1.

Both will now be the subject of a coroner's inquests.

Father of three Charlie Junior Rihari (49) was struck by a ute as he walked on Inlet Road in Kerikeri, near the intersection with Pa Road, at about 1.15am. He died at the scene despite efforts to save him. An hour later 17-year-old Chloe Hope Hartigan, of Tokerau Beach, died after she was struck by a car on Oruru Road, Taipa.

Both had been at New Year's Eve parties.

Inlet Road has a footpath but Mr Rihari was walking on the road. A motorist had to swerve to avoid him when he lunged into the path of the car a few minutes before the fatal collision.

When that driver returned a few minutes later Mr Rihari had been struck by another vehicle.

Oruru Road has neither lighting nor a footpath. Miss Hartigan was walking on the left-hand side of the road when she was struck.

Senior Constable Warren Bunn, of the police Serious Crash Unit, said no one would be prosecuted over the deaths, adding that the fatalities were tragic for the victims' families, but also traumatic for the drivers.

While it was well known that drinking and driving didn't mix, drinking then walking home on rural roads with high-speed traffic, especially where there were no footpaths or streetlights, was also risky, he said.

He urged Northlanders to have a plan for getting home safely after going out at night.