Jonathan Pinchbeck, 25, of Huntly, died at Bendigo Health about 8:35pm on Thursday.

Left grieving Mr Pinchbeck are his wife, Jennifer, 10-month-old son, Memphis, mother Teresa, brother Jordan, sisters Ashleigh and Montana, grandparents Kay and Harold, friends and a large extended family.

Mr Pinchbeck's wife, Jennifer, said her family and close friends wanted the community to know what her husband meant to them.

"He was our world. He loved being with his family, his son," she said. “He loved the challenge of life and just wanted to give everyone a fair go."

Teresa Greenwood, Mr Pinchbeck's mother, paid tribute to a beautiful larrikin who would do anything for anyone.

"He was one of a kind,” she said. 

“He had an infectious smile. And what you saw was what you got."

A larger-than-life character who sometimes found himself in a bit of trouble, Mr Pinchbeck enjoyed cars, shooting, bush bashing and playing in the mud, his mother said.

Most of all, though, it was his love for his family and friends that shone through, she said.

"He should be here with us,” she said. “He should be here with Memphis for his first Christmas and here to see his first birthday. Christmas will never be the same."

Ms Greenwood said she had taken comfort in the number of people who had paid tribute to her son on Facebook.

"It's comforting for me to see how many people are on there saying how much he was loved and respected,” she said.

“I know I raised a beautiful boy.”

Ms Greenwood said her family had a great support network but were bracing themselves for the weeks ahead.

"I don't know when I'll be ready to go back to work," she said. 

"Jen's going to need help with Memphis."

Colin Paynting described Mr Pinchbeck - his best friend - as an "inspiration" and someone who had never asked for the easy road in life.

"He's inspired me a lot to become a better person. He helped everyone and was incredible," he said. 

Mrs Pinchbeck said her family wanted to publicly thank the staff at Bendigo Hospital for the care they had provided.

"They had an amazing team and they have been exceptional," she said. 

Mr Pinchbeck was standing in a car park a short distance from M & C Tyres, where he worked as a tyre-fitter, when he was struck by the Nissan four-wheel-drive.  

The incident occurred at about 5:30pm, his family said.

Police are still investigating and have spoken to the driver of the vehicle, a 28-year-old Big Hill man, who was not injured.

Clarification: A story in Saturday's paper identified a man paying tribute to Mr Pinchbeck as a family member. He is not a family member, but a friend of the family.