A 29-year-old man is in a serious condition in Waikato Hospital after being hit by a vehicle while walking along a rural road near Taupo.
Police are appealing for anyone who travelled along Forest Road at Mokai between 6am and 9.30pm on Tuesday to contact them if they saw a man walking in the area.
He was wearing a dark jacket and carrying a blue bag.
Police say the investigation is continuing into the circumstances of the crash, including the movements of the man leading up to it.
They say it is a timely reminder to people to exercise extreme care when walking in rural areas, especially at night.
Weather and road conditions were good at the time.