An 81-year-old man assaulted in a brutal road rage attack in Wellington has died suddenly.
Norman Russell was "assaulted because he was driving slowly" last month while he was trying to find his motel on the Kapiti Coast, leaving him badly bruised.
In a death notice published in the NZ Herald on Tuesday, Russell's family said he died suddenly at home on Saturday.
The brutal attack on Russell left locals reeling after a photo of him battered and bruised was posted to the Vic Deals Facebook page on December 23.
"This is so hard to believe what this world has become," one commenter said.
Others described the attack as "disgusting".
"So very sad this happened," another wrote. "I hope he heals fast and is not too scarred by the cruelty shown to him."
Friends of Russell's told the NZ Herald he was "just adorable" and a "good bastard". His death notice says he will be farewelled at a service in Morrinsville on Saturday.
Meanwhile, police said a 24-year-old man has been charged with common assault and will appear in the Levin District Court later in January.
