Police are appealing for the driver of a stolen car which fatally struck a pedestrian in Lower Hutt this morning to come forward.
The incident occurred on Naenae Rd around 5.46am.
"The driver of the vehicle involved did not stop and immediately left the scene," said police.
The woman died at the scene.
The vehicle, a dark grey Mazda 6 sedan, had been stolen from a home in Belmont earlier in the morning.
It was found on Waddington Dr, in Naenae, around 12.20pm today.
"The driver of that vehicle will know they have hit a person, and in all likelihood they will be panicking right now," Detective Inspector Haley Ryan said.
"I urge the driver or any occupant of that vehicle to come forward and speak to us, as we want to understand the events that have led to this tragedy."
Ryan is also appealing for members of the public who spotted the vehicle in the Hutt Valley leading up to the incident and afterwards to contact police.
"We know the car has been driven around the Hutt Valley for several hours prior to this tragic incident."
Ryan said the vehicle had been "speeding and driving erratically and continued to do so after hitting the victim".
"Following the collision, the vehicle was seen to be smoking heavily and would have been showing visible damage," she said.
"The way it has been driven would draw significant attention."
Ryan said CCTV footage captured the vehicle at the bottom of the Wainuiomata Hill minutes prior to the crash.
"It is shown making a turn into Waiwhetu Rd from Whites Line East and from there it would have travelled towards Naenae.
"It was driving north on Naenae Rd at the time the victim was hit."
SHARE ME