Flowers left at the scene near Gayhurst Rd bridge, where Steffan Pearce-Loe was hit by a car as he walked his dogs in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Canterbury police have located the vehicle involved in a fatal hit and run on Gayhurst Road on Thursday morning.

The incident happened at about 2.30am.

Steffan Pearce-Loe, aged 30, of Christchurch, was hit by a car as he walked his dogs near the Gayhurst Rd bridge in Christchurch, about 2.30am on Thursday. He died overnight on Friday.

His family has described him as an "adventurous and loving" man.

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At a press conference on Saturday, Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Cottam said a post-mortem showed Pearce-Loe died as a result of a head injury "consistent with being struck by a motor vehicle".

In a press release on Saturday night Cottam said the vehicle involved had been seized under a search warrant and would now be forensically examined.

"The owner of the vehicle has been spoken to and is helping police with our inquiries.

"Following the forensic examination of the vehicle, a decision will be made on charges in due course.

"I'd like to thank all those members of the public who provided information and assistance as we undertook our enquiries into this incident.



"This tragic death serves as a timely reminder that drivers need to take due care when driving at night; and that it is a driver's responsibility when involved in a crash to stop, ascertain what has happened, and provide assistance to any injured person."

A police spokesperson was unable to provide any further details, including the make of the car or how police found it.

He said the family were "struggling to come to terms" with the sudden loss of a loved one, but were being supported by friends and family.

In a notice on Saturday, Pearce-Loe's family thanked the intensive care unit at Christchurch Hospital and paid tribute to a son, brother, partner and "best mate".

"We will all miss our adventurous and loving man."