An employee of Fulton Hogan has died after being struck by a vehicle on State Highway 1 in Waikato while assisting a stranded motorist.
Emergency services were called to the scene on the Waikato Expressway near Ōhinewai at about 7 am on Tuesday.
Police initially described the victim as a pedestrian who died at the scene.
In a statement, Fulton Hogan confirmed one of its employees had been fatally injured during the incident.
The company said it had “been made aware of a tragic incident that occurred on a Waikato worksite earlier this morning, where a Fulton Hogan employee was fatally injured when assisting a stranded vehicle,” as quoted by Stuff.
Emergency crews responded to the site shortly after 7am.
A spokesperson for WorkSafe New Zealand said the agency was making initial inquiries to determine the circumstances surrounding the fatality, but noted that it was not yet a formal investigation.
Fulton Hogan said its priority was supporting those impacted by the tragedy.
The company said its key focus was “to support those affected by this tragic event and provide full assistance to authorities,” as quoted by Stuff.
Police said inquiries into the crash remain ongoing.
The incident forced the closure of southbound lanes on State Highway 1 between the Te Kauwhata and Rangiriri on-ramps on Tuesday morning while the Serious Crash Unit carried out investigations, Stuff has reported.
According to the NZ Transport Agency, the highway reopened shortly before 1 pm.