A 60-year-old health care worker who died after being struck by a car in Lower Hutt’s Naenae last week has been named by police as Vanessa Ritihia Houpapa.
Emergency services were called to Cambridge Terrace around 11pm on Thursday, where Houpapa was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have laid charges against a 25-year-old woman for excess breath alcohol causing injury and death. She is scheduled to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on 29 April.
Houpapa, a long-serving health care assistant with the Hutt Valley team, was remembered by Health New Zealand as a valued colleague. “Our condolences are with her family and friends, and we are supporting our staff during this difficult time,” a spokesperson said.
Police also extended their sympathies to Houpapa’s whānau, acknowledging the community’s loss.