Man found dead on SH1

Waikato police are trying to work out what role, if any, a drunken fight had in a man's death on a Waikato stretch of State Highway 1 last night.

A sudden death investigation has been launched by police after the discovery of a man's body overnight.

Police found a man lying dead on the side of the road at about 9.35pm just south of Ngaruawahia, 19km north of Hamilton.

Western Waikato Area Commander Inspector Paul Carpenter said police spoke to a driver who was driving towards the town from Hamilton when he suddenly saw a man on the road in front of his car who he was unable to avoid hitting. The pedestrian died at the scene.

Meanwhile, an intoxicated man was arrested and taken back to the Ngaruawahia Police Station. The man said he had been in a fight on the same road where the man was killed.

Police wanted to know why the victim was on the road and what role the intoxicated man played in the events, Mr Carpenter said.

"The investigation is very much still in its formative stages and at this point we can confirm we are investigating a sudden death that has been reported to the coroner," he said.

The driver had been co-operating fully with police.

Any witnesses to a fight in or around the stretch of road at about the time of the incident should speak to police immediately.

- NZPA