Police have named the man who died in a State Highway 1 crash in Wellington on 19 June as Gregory David Diggins, 62, from Lower Hutt.
The crash closed southbound lanes from approximately 5 pm to 11 pm, with traffic at a standstill for hours and some motorists leaving their vehicles to walk along the highway. Police inquiries into the circumstances are continuing.
Pōneke Football Club paid tribute to Diggins in a Facebook post, saying "Greg had time for everyone and always had a positive outlook. He was the kind of person every club hopes to have, relies on, and will never forget" and "For decades, through every single high and low, he never wavered, never folded, and never missed a game. Greg wasn't just a Pōneke supporter, Greg WAS Pōneke".