A teenage boy has died after falling off the back of a ute in the rural Te Teko in the Bay of Plenty.
Police have now named the 13-year-old as Shane Hohepa, who was one of two travelling on the back of the white Mitsubishi ute when he fell onto the road. The driver and another person were in the cab.
Senior Constable Stephen Allan of the Whakatane police say police and ambulance officers attended the scene around 1pm. The road was closed for three hours while the Serious Crash Unit carried out its investigation.
Police are asking anyone who saw the four-door ute prior to the crash to contact them with any information which could help with their investigations.
3 News