Father fatally run over

A Dunedin man was assaulted by a group of people before being run over and left to die.

It is understood the man was Sean Buis, who was in his late 20s and had a young child.

Emergency services were called to Eglinton Rd in Mornington, Dunedin, about 7.30pm on Thursday after police received ‘‘reports a man had been assaulted and run over by a vehicle’’.

Buis was unable to be revived, and died at the scene. His family declined to comment. Police said it was an ‘‘unexplained’’ death.

That investigation includes gouged tyre tracks on a grassy bank, and a lone Adidas shoe at the scene where Buis died.

Police have gone door-to-door on the street, which overlooks the popular city lookout of Unity Park, asking for witnesses and anyone with CCTV footage.

Police would not comment on any arrests, including the whereabouts of the driver, or any vehicle occupants, but appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.

‘‘We understand a group of people were present at the scene prior to this man’s death,’’ they said.

The Otago Daily Times reported a Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) employee said a friend of the victim told her he had been beaten up and was run down when he tried to escape.

The woman said she was on her way home when she heard cries for help.

She ran over and found the man on the grass next to the road with multiple injuries. The woman said she tried CPR, but about five minutes later the man died, the ODT reported.

On Thursday evening, paramedics could be seen trying to revive the man before he was loaded into an ambulance.

Police conducted a scene examination, with a police photographer taking pictures of a parked vehicle and tyre tracks.

That cordon remained yesterday, with two large tents erected at the scene.