Police name John Patrick Bonner as cyclist killed in west Auckland crash

Friday, 8 December 2017

Police have named John Patrick Bonner as the cyclist who died on Te Atatū Rd, in west Auckland, on Thursday night

A Te Atatū resident heard an 'almighty crash' when 51-year-old Bonner's bicycle collided with a vehicle.

A police spokeswoman said Bonner, from Te Atatū Peninsula, died at the crash scene, after 8pm.

The incident occurred between Cellarmans St and Vinograd Drive.

READ MORE: Three people, including unlicensed teen driver, dead after Auckland crashes

'Police extend their condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time,' the spokeswoman said

Acting Waitemata road policing manager senior sergeant Todd Moore-Carter said there was nothing worse for a police officer than having to knock on a person's door and tell them their family member had died in a car crash.

'Our staff across Auckland have been working hard on keeping our roads safe, but we simply can't do it without our communities' help,' he said.

The serious crash unit was investigating the incident.

WITNESS RECALLS CRASH SCENE

Although unsure of how the fatal crash occurred, the local resident said he saw Bonner lying on Te Atatū Rd, just outside the community police station.

A number of people rushed to the scene and tried CPR on Bonner, he said.

'They worked on him for a while.'

Earlier on Friday, police spokeswoman Shelley Nahr said despite members of the public trying to revive Bonner, he died at the scene, where flowers have since been left in tribute.

The resident said the car was facing down Te Atatū Rd, and damage could be seen on the vehicle's left side.

He saw emergency services including police, ambulance, fire and an off-duty doctor at the scene.

The resident said he had seen a number of crashes outside of his home over time, but this was the first death.

It was normally quiet at that time of night, he said.

Police were at the scene until 11.15pm, he said.