Evening stroll ends in hit-and-run death for Hamilton man

By AINSLEY THOMSON


Jo Hartley and her partner, Doug Timings, were on an evening stroll with close friends and their dog.

The Hamilton couple, who had been planning their wedding earlier on Saturday evening, were holding hands.

As they walked along Norrie St in the suburb of Melville they let go of each other to walk around a tree.

It was the last time they would hold hands.

A stolen stationwagon came speeding round the corner and lost control.

It hit the tree, uprooting it, and ploughed into Mr Timings and Benni the pug dog.

Mr Timings, 46, was pinned under the car and died at the scene.

Benni was killed instantly.

The driver of the stolen car ran from the scene.

Last night, Ms Hartley told the Herald the couple had been having a barbecue to celebrate the arrival of one of Mr Timings' best friends from the United States.

"We were talking about what 2004 was going to bring for us," she said.

After dinner, Mr Timings, a fitness fanatic, insisted they go on their regular evening walk.

"He said we will get fat tummies and that we had to go for a walk."

Last night she described Mr Timings, her partner of five years and a prison officer at Waikeria, as a man with an incredible enthusiasm for life. "We were supposed to be old farts together."

The stretch of road where Mr Timings died is notorious for accidents.

The lawn where the car came to rest belongs to Bill Cassidy.

It is the second time in a year that he has had a car crash on his lawn.

In the four years that he has lived at the address there have been nine accidents outside his house.

Next door, Aaron Moke has also had a car land on his front lawn.

In the 18 months he has lived there, six cars have crashed.

The first accident happened after he had been living there for 10 days.

A long straight stretch leads up to the corner.

It is thought that drivers pick up speed and lose control when they hit the deceptively tight corner.

Whatever the reason, the people living on the street say they want something done about it.

Mr Moke said there were always children playing around the area, and it was only a matter a time before someone was hurt. He wants speed bumps installed.

Last night police said they were interviewing the 16-year-old youth who had been driving the stolen car.

* On Friday night a 16-year-old youth died after his car crashed into a power pole on Tahuna Rd, about 10km east of Huntly.