Police conducting scene examination in George St, Waihī after a pedestrian died. Photo / Supplied
Police conducting scene examination in George St, Waihī after a pedestrian died. Photo / Supplied
A person has been hit and killed by a vehicle in the Coromandel town of Waihī overnight but police remain tight lipped about the gender and possible age of the deceased.
The crash happened on George St, next to Gilmour Reserve, about 1 am, police said.
The vehicle was foundnearby, crashed into a fence, a police spokeswoman said.
"Initially the driver fled on foot but we located him a short time afterwards."
The road remained closed around the crash site this morning to allow a scene examination to take place and the police cordon remains in place this afternoon until further notice.
A police spokeswoman said police were still working to formally identify the person and could not say yet whether the victim was a male or female, nor their age.
Waihī fire chief Moe Stevens said police were already on the scene when brigade members arrived at the scene, and assisted police were lights, covers and traffic management.
Stevens said he understood the deceased was male, but confirmation would need to come from police and he would not comment further now there was police investigation.
Austin Rattray, a Waihi ward councillor on the Hauraki District Council, said when he drove passed the crash scene this morning police were stopping traffic from the Gilmour end of George St right through to Clarke St.
"George St is a small quiet street with about 20 houses or so, and not a thoroughfare for highway traffic," he said.
"It's very sad, and my thoughts go out to the person's family, " Rattray said.
