The man who died after being struck by an ambulance in Northland was to be buried today in Kaitaia after no family came forward to claim his body.
Svetislav "Zorro" Zivadinovic, 68, died after the collision on State Highway 10, one kilometre east of Awanui, north of Kaitaia at 6.30pm on
Wednesday.
Police and St John ambulance are investigating the crash.
Mr Zivadinovic -- who police say had been walking along the highway in the dark -- had no known family in New Zealand.
His body has lain in the morgue at Geards Funeral Home while police have tried to contact a relative in Australia, with no success to date.
Geards funeral director Anthony Kiely said it was unusual in Northland for nobody to come forward to claim a body.
"Police have made every effort to contact the next of kin in Australia through the consulate, but nobody has come forward," Mr Kiely said.
Mr Zivadinovic would be buried, rather than cremated, in case someone claimed his body in the future.
Mr Kiely said in general if the deceased had no friends or family, the State usually contributed to the burial.
However, as Mr Zivadinovic's death was the result of an accident, the funeral home would apply to ACC for a funeral grant to recover the costs of the burial.
Mr Zivadinovic, known as Steve or Zorro to the people of Kaitaia, had lived at the Kaitaia Hike and Bike Backpackers Hostel for the past two years.
He appears to have been a man who people often saw but nobody knew intimately.
A service for Mr Zivadinovic was scheduled to be held at St Josephs Catholic Church in Kaitaia today, followed by burial at Waipapakauri Public Cemetery.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)
