Driver unable to see Hamilton pedestrian struck on dark road

One person died and two others were injured in this crash at Waitakaruru on Saturday morning. Photo/Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust.

Police say a Hamilton man had earlier been reported walking on a dark road before being fatally struck by a car.

And unfortunately for the 69-year-old man, the driver had just been temporarily blinded by the lights of a truck whose driver was likely trying to warn him of the victim walking along the road, Waikato police Senior Sergeant Pete van de Wetering says.

The victim was walking along Tasman Rd, Te Rapa, about 6pm yesterday when he was struck by a car.

"He was just walking along the road, it was dark, he had no light coloured or reflective clothing on ... he wasn't on the footpath.

"Our initial indication is that he has walked in front of a car driving along there and the driver had no opportunity to avoid hitting him in the dark."

After questioning the driver police learned just prior to the crash, he had blinded by the flashing headlights of a truck, perhaps trying to warn him of the man on the road.

"Perhaps unfortunately for the deceased a truck approaching the driver flashed his headlights at him, probably because the driver had not seen the gentleman walking on the road.

"And for a moment, the driver looked to check if his own headlights weren't on high beam and as he has looked up the gentleman has just stepped out in front of him."

Van de Wetering said they still had several inquiries to make and were keen to hear from the truck driver who flashed his lights at the car.

"We would appeal to the driver, if he reads this story, if he could contact the serious crash unit at the [Waikato] road policing base."

They have already spoken to up to two other motorists who had reported a man walking along Tasman Rd in the dark prior to the crash, he said.

As for any learnings from the incident, Van de Wetering reminded people who were either walking or biking on the road at night to wear adequate, high visibility clothing and "to be safe in terms of where they are".

It had been a nightmare week on the roads in the Waikato so far, with three people now killed.

Hamilton man Boyd Mangu Katipa, 54, died after his ute and a truck collided on SH1, Karapiro early Saturday, while later that morning a person died and another was seriously injured after a two-car crash on State Highway 2 at Waitakaruru.

A woman also died in a crash which left her husband seriously injured after their truck and a car collided on SH3 near Otorohanga on Monday night.