A young man has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death after a hit and run in South Auckland last year.

Talikavili Talakai​, 21, was charged in June last year- a day after the hit and run on Māngere's Thomas Rd that killed Abraham Kauri.

Today Talakai appeared in the High Court at Auckland where he admitted dangerous driving causing death and failing to stop and ascertain injury after a crash.

Justice Sally Fitzgerald convicted Talakai and remanded him on bail to await sentencing in February.

She reminded him to stick to his bail otherwise he would end up in custody.

On June 9 last year police were called to Thomas Rd after reports of a man being hit by a vehicle that immediately left the scene.

Streets in the South Auckland suburb were cordoned off for much of the afternoon as mayhem broke out.

A young man was heard crying, "You killed my dad" to a man who had been detained by police.

One witness saw up to 20-30 people restrained across two areas, amid a heavy police presence of about 15-20 officers.

Another witness described seeing two men smashing a car on Thomas Rd.

He said a car had pulled out from a house and was revving its engine on the street.

"I heard the tyre noises," the witness said.

Then two men began smashing the car with what the witness believed was a rock and iron rod.

The person in the car fled into a house.

- Ellen Thompson, Open Justice