Hit-and-run: ‘That was our baby’
The mother of a teenager who died in a hit-and-run cried as she asked the driver why the vehicle didn’t stop for her “baby”.
Jacob Pakura died after he was hi t by a c ar while skateboarding on Rua Rd, Glen Eden, late on Saturday. The 16-year-old was found unconscious by members of the public who tried to help him as they waited for emergency services.
Police say he died at the scene some time later.
Jacob’s mother, Esther Pakura, tearfully read her statement to media at a press conference yesterday afternoon. Her voice broke as she told the crowd that her son loved life.
“This person hit Jacob ... they don’t know what they’ve taken away from us. They don’t know how much of an awesome person he was. He loved life and he took every opportunity that he got. He l oved hi s s kateboard. He had lots of f r i ends and was very c harismatic. He got along with everyone. Why couldn’t you That was our baby.”
Jacob’s s i s t er, Jasmin Pakura, took over from her mother and emotionally finished the statement.
“When you hit him, you didn’t just hit Jacob. You hit his whole stop? family. You took away his future, you took away memories. You took away everything that this boy loved.
“Please give our family some closure and come forward.”
Jacob’s father, Jason Pakura, was also with family members as they read their statement.
Inspector Trevor Beggs ad- dressed t he media, s aying neighbours had reported hearing a car speeding down the street around the time Jacob would have been hit. Beggs said Jacob had terrible injuries to his entire body and the driver would know without doubt that somebody had been hit.
Beggs suspected the vehicle would be seriously damaged.
“To have left a young man laying in the road with catastrophic injuries like this, is simply unthinkable.”
It was possible that the driver had taken the vehicle to a friend to get fixed and fabricated a story to explain the damage. Beggs said the driver may now be acting in a strange or unusual way. Police confirmed the incident took place around midnight on Saturday night. Members of Jacob’s family cried and hugged each other at the scene where their son and brother’s life came to an end.
A group of Jacob’s friends turned up before the press conference. They called him “one of the bros”.
“He was something else that kid. No one really understands that.”
Around 40 of Jacob’s family and friends huddled together while they waited for the blessing. Kaumatua Reverend Fred Holloway led the group to the scene where Jacob was killed and said a karakia. They then s ung t he Maori hymn