A night out with friends ended in tragedy when a man was hit by a vehicle as he walked along State Highway 27.

Matamata-Piako CIB are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a 24-year-old foreign national shortly after midnight on Saturday, January 21.

Detective Sergeant Jason Perry says Michael William Spink, from North Yorkshire, England, had been in NZ for about eight months while working and living on a farm in the local area.

'Enquiries so far have established he had been socialising with friends in Matamata earlier in the night.

'At about 11.30pm, he has left the Matamata township in his vehicle.

'His vehicle was located shortly after in a ditch on State Highway 27 and it appears he has exited his vehicle and decided to walk the approximate ten kilometres to the farm where he was living.”

Jason says as he has been walking north along State Highway 27 towards Waharoa, he has been struck from behind by a vehicle.

'The driver of the vehicle has stopped immediately and contacted Police who have responded.

'Sadly, the man died at the scene.”

The driver was breath tested at the scene and had no alcohol in his system.

A post mortem was conducted yesterday and police are awaiting the results of a toxicology report.

'Police extend our thoughts and sympathies to the family of the man and to those affected by the tragic events of this accident.”