A 23-year-old man surrendered to Police hours after the body of a 29-year-old Fonongahina man was found lying on Liku Road early Sunday morning, 12 July. Police allege the victim was run over by a vehicle before the driver fled the scene.
Chief Superintendent Halatoa Taufa said Police received a report at about 5:30am of a body lying on Liku Road in Fonongahina.
"The body was lying on the road; an empty vehicle was also there on the scene," he said.
Police were initially unable to identify the deceased, who was later identified by an immediate relative as a 29-year-old man from Fonongahina.
At about 8:00am the same morning, a 23-year-old man from Ha'ateiho surrendered to Police and is now in custody.
Taufa said the driver told investigators he had been travelling along Liku Road at about 4:00am with three passengers—two men and a woman.
"Our preliminary report stated that the body was most likely lying on the road at the time," Taufa said.
Police said questioning of the driver indicated that the vehicle ran over the body. The vehicle was unable to start after striking the body, and the occupants fled the scene. The driver later surrendered and was arrested.
Alcohol is suspected to have been involved in the incident.
Investigations are continuing.
The death is the eighth road fatality recorded this year.
