27 Mar 2013

Kaipara man may have lain under quad bike for days

12:36 pm on 27 March 2013

A Northland coroner's court has heard that a Kaipara man killed in a quad bike accident may have lain under the machine for four days.

The inquest is the second in a series of four into quad bike fatalities being held by the Coroner Brandt Shortland.

On Wednesday, the inquest heard the body of Carlos Mendoza was found under the vehicle on 16 September 2010.

Neighbours had last seen him riding the bike on his Arapohue farmlet on 12 September.

When the quad bike was spotted tipped over in a paddock on 14 September, a neighbour went to Mr Mendoza's house where he heard the TV on and the dog inside and assumed Mr Mendoza was there.

Two days after that, when he still hadn't been seen, the neighbour checked the upturned bike, saw his boots sticking out and called the police.

A safety inspector told the inquest steep terrain and low tyre pressure were factors in the accident.