Officer may face charges after teen's death

A police officer who ran over and killed a teenage pedestrian and injured his friend in Northland on Saturday night could face charges, police say.

Rawire Wilson, 16, died instantly when he was hit by the marked police car while walking along an unlit part of State Highway 1, in Ohaeawai, 11km northeast of Kaikohe, at 11.45pm.

Another teenager who was struck and moderately injured was flown to Whangarei Hospital.

Sergeant Dougal Montgomery of northern police communications said yesterday it was too early to tell if the officer driving the car would be charged, but it could not be ruled out.

The two officers in the car were on routine patrol and were travelling from Kaikohe to Moerewa.

Both teenagers were from Kaeo, about 60km north of Kaikohe.

The accident was understood to have happened about 100m from a house where the teenagers had been at a party.

Three investigations – coronial, criminal and Independent Police Conduct Authority – have been launched in relation to the incident, Inspector Murray Hodson said.

Police have appealed for any witnesses who were in the area at the time to contact Detective Sergeant Sam Bindon of the Kaikohe police.

Whangaroa College principal Nicolette Pako said Rawire Wilson was a former pupil at the school.

She said the students had had a couple of days to process the news and were coping "as well as can be expected".

"They’ve had a couple of days to think about it, I guess to talk about it and we dedicated this morning’s assembly and our karakia to acknowledge the passing of Rawire and as a school we’ll be going out to visit Rawire and his family over the next few days," she said.

"It’s a really difficult time for them and for everyone and we’re there to support the family and the community as everyone works through the grief process."

"This is a very small community and any death in our community affects this community hugely," Ms Pako said.

"Sixteen is way too young to be passing away."

Rawire Wilson was one two people to die on New Zealand roads over the week – the second was another teenager from Northland.

Seventeen-year-old Naru Toko Aphene, of Kaikohe, was killed when he lost control of his car and crashed into a bank in Whangarei early yesterday.

The car left the road, became airborne, crossed a stream and hit the opposite bank, said Sergeant John Fagan of Whangarei police.

Three other males in the car were taken to Whangarei Hospital with moderate injuries.

- NZPA