Dog walker death: Video shows man walking on dark road before fatal hit

A dog walker who died on a state highway in Raglan was filmed walking in the middle of a dark road on the night he was fatally struck by a car.

Police have launched an investigation after the man was found dead on State Highway 23 between Te Mata Rd and Nau Mai Rd on Wednesday.

They believed he was struck by a moving vehicle while walking his dog.

Today, the Herald obtained footage taken before the man was fatally struck.

The video shows the man holding up traffic while walking in the middle of the road in the dark, with an apparently off-leash dog by his side.

In the video, the person filming is parked on the left-hand side of the road and sees the man walking, with traffic behind him.

A man was seen walking in the middle of the road in the dark on SH23 Raglan before he was fatally struck by a car.

Multiple people posted on social media after the incident, with some saying they had seen the man walking that day.

“My friend and I were visiting Bridal Veil Falls and commented how dangerous it seemed that he was walking in the middle of the road,” one woman wrote.

“Looked happy enough but was a very odd situation. So sad to hear how it ended.”

Another person said she had seen him walking on the footpath near Bush Park about 4pm.

“His energy struck me as a guy having just had a beautiful swim with his dog and living his best life.”

A police spokesperson said: “Work is now under way to understand what occurred, as well as to formally identify the victim.

“A number of people are currently assisting with our inquiries, however, we would like to hear from anyone who might have witnessed this incident.

“We’d also like to hear from anyone who may have seen a man walking with a dog on SH23 in or near Raglan between 4.30pm and 7pm yesterday, or anyone who has captured dashcam footage from the incident or surrounding times.”

Social media reports stated that the incident occurred outside the Raglan Building Supplies hardware store at Nau Mai Business Park.

Police are looking for two vehicles of interest, a silver 2009 Ford Falcon saloon, registration FDF332, and a silver 2011 Mazda Axela saloon, registration PZD720.

Police advise anyone with information to get in touch through the 105 service, quoting file number 240904/4878. Information can also be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.