Officer breaks down at inquest

Constable Jamie Taumata Anderson drove a police patrol car which struck Rawiri Wilson on State Highway 1 at Ohaeawai on July 25, 2009. Photo / Greg Bowker

A police officer who was driving a patrol car that struck and killed a 16-year-old walking along a state highway at night gave an emotional apology.

Constable Jamie Taumata Anderson broke down as he gave evidence at the inquest into the death of Rawiri Wilson in the coroner's court at Whangarei yesterday.

"I've been thinking of what to say to mend the gap but I don't know what to say. This whole thing, it's blown me out of the water.

"I'm just very sorry to you all," Mr Anderson said.

Across the room, Rawiri's mother, Sharlene Wilson, was in tears as the youth's grandmother, Ada Morton, tried to console her daughter and held her hand.

Family members of the officer and Rawiri filled the court. They met and spoke at the end of the hearing.

Rawiri was hit by a police patrol car on State Highway 1 at Ohaeawai on July 25, 2009, about 11.30pm. He was walking on the road with his cousin, Gideon Porter, who was knocked into a drain and suffered a fractured hip.

Mr Anderson said he had struggled for the past 18 months to try to work out what had happened. He will not face criminal charges.

In a written document presented to the court, Mr Anderson described how he drove down the hill out of Ohaeawai with Constable Roger Dephoff, whom he was taking home to Kawakawa.

As he was driving, he thought he saw an unclothed part of a leg. The car lights were on dip at the time.

"I swerved and just felt the collision. I just stopped."

Mr Anderson discovered he had hit two people, who had been wearing dark clothing. One was lying in the drain and the other in front of the police car.

"I was shocked, just really shocked," he said.

Lawyer Christina Cook, appearing for Rawiri's family, said police obtained phone records for Mr Anderson's phone which showed he had received a text 23 seconds before the accident. Mr Anderson said he had not opened the text and had not been distracted by the phone.

Coroner Garry Evans reserved his decision.