A man who died after falling from his motorbike was not wearing a helmet or protective clothing and the trail bike he was riding had no lights, police say.
The man was lying in the middle of State Highway 1 when he was run over by a following rider on a Harley Davidson motorbike about 4am yesterday.
It was the second fatal crash involving a motorbike in about 12 hours that Northland police are investigating.
A teenager, who was wearing all the appropriate safety gear, died while riding in sand dunes in the Far North on Sunday afternoon.
In the latest crash yesterday morning, a man, in his early 20s, died when he fell from his Husqvarna motorbike on State Highway 1 near Kauri, north of Whangarei.
Senior Constable Warren Bunn, also part of the serious crash investigation team, said it appeared a motorbike rider on a Harley Davidson had then struck the man while he was lying in the middle of the road shortly after 4am.
The Harley Davidson rider stopped a short distance away and rang for police help. Other motorists also stopped and parked with their hazard lights on. The state highway was blocked off and traffic diverted through Saleyards Rd until just after midday.
Police were unsure how long the man had been lying on the road before he was hit by the south-bound Harley Davidson or whether he had been struck by another vehicle causing him to fall from his bike. The two motorcyclists were not travelling together.
Mr Bunn had been to the scene and was appealing for help from the public.
"The rider of the trail bike has fallen off for some unknown reason," Mr Bunn said.
He wanted motorists who may have seen him riding prior to the fall or witnessed the crash to come forward. It's believed two drivers of fully laden logging trucks heading south were seen to swerve to miss something on the road and police would like to speak to them. He wanted motorists who may have seen him riding prior to the fall or witnessed the crash to come forward.
The death brings Northland's road toll to five this year.
Anyone with information on the Kauri crash should contact Warren Bunn at Whangarei police station on 09 430 4500.
- Kristin Edge
