A cyclist wearing dark clothing with no lights on his bike was struck and killed by a logging truck on State Highway 1 in Northland.
Police said the southbound truck driver thought he had struck something near Towai, 39km north-west of Whangarei, about 6.15am yesterday.
The driver, who was in a line of traffic, stopped and searched the roadside using a torch but was unable to find anything and continued on his way.
Northland road policing manager Inspector Wayne Ewers said it was while the driver was unloading logs at Marsden Point he inspected the front of his truck and noticed the damaged and called police about 7.30am.
On his return trip north the truckie stopped again at where he thought he hit something and discovered the body of a young man in a drain beside the south-bound lane, just south of the Gasoline Alley service station about 9.30am and contacted police again.
Insp Ewers said it appeared the 21-year-old cyclist had also been travelling south when he was hit. It's understood he cycled the stretch of road regularly.
Insp Ewers confirmed the cyclist had been dressed in dark clothing and had no lights on his bike. The highway remained open while the Serious Crash Unit surveyed the scene and a kaumatua also blessed the scene.
Specialist commercial vehicle inspectors were also to examine the logging truck involved after speaking to the driver.
Police said the matter was referred to the coroner. The death takes Northland's road toll to 19 so far this year.
