Police at the scene in Glen Eden yesterday. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
A trainer at a West Auckland gym who ran to the aid of a man struck in a hit and run has described carrying out CPR in a desperate attempt to save the victim's life.
A man was hit by a vehicle in a busy shopping area on Glendale Road in the Auckland suburb of Glen Eden yesterday, reportedly after an altercation in a car park.
A 27-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder. He is due to appear in Waitākere District Court today.
The man died at the scene despite the efforts of passersby to save him.
One of the first to rush to the man's aid was Marc Rainbow, a personal trainer at Fit Factory in Glen Eden.
He frantically performed CPR on the victim before a doctor arrived.
"I was standing at the gym door, our manager Barbara was outside the door and she witnessed the whole event take place," he said.
He said the man was thrown across the road and landed on the footpath.
"I heard the crash and the thud, and then Barbara alerted me ... and then I ran to the victim and started CPR."
Nurses from a nearby medical centre and another man took turns doing chest compressions, and continued until a doctor arrived and confirmed their efforts had been in vain.
"The doctor called it and said 'I'm sorry Marc you're going to have to step away," Rainbow said.
The victim had been with his wife when he was hit on a crossing on the road, he said.
Rainbow had been told the man was a local and was regularly at Glenmall Place.
"We're a tight knit community here in Glen Eden, especially Glenmall Place."
When he got back to his workplace about 3.30pm the area was cordoned off. "It was like a ghost town - it was a very, very sombre mode in here last night."
"This was a bit out of the blue and to be honest a little bit too crazy to think about it and how the incident happened."
Rainbow said he was trained in CPR due to his profession, but it was the first time he had used it.
"I can only wish the family dearest heartfelt sympathies in what they could be going through - he had two young children as well."
