Police at the scene. Photo / Jason Dorday
A 17-year-old has died after being run over during what police described as an unprovoked assault at his cousin's 20th-birthday party.
Senituli Siulua, a Manukau Institute of Technology student, was knocked down in Heathberry Close in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe about 1am yesterday.
He died in Middlemore
Hospital about 6pm.
Detective Senior Sergeant Gary Lendrum said a partygoer, a woman, had gone out to stop a family member driving drunk when three cars arrived carrying young people shouting gang slogans.
Lendrum said the woman had been attacked and when some relatives had gone to her aid, Siulua was run over in the altercation.
He was unsure why the young man was run over.
Witnesses said the driver of one car had been trying to reverse at speed.
Lendrum said four men aged between 18 and 22 had been charged with assault on a female and would appear in the Manukau District Court tomorrow.
He was planning to discuss the incident with the Crown Solicitor and more charges were likely.
Members of Siulua's family were too distressed to talk about the accident yesterday.
There have been several high-profile cases involving vehicle deaths at parties.
Lipene Sila, a 23-year-old factory hand, is on trial for murder after two people were killed and another 28 were injured at a party in Christchurch.
In 2004, Whangarei woman Julie Johnston was found guilty of manslaughter after driving her car into a group of young people in the suburb of Kamo.
