Police hunting for van driver

A manhunt is on for the driver of a van who hit and killed a man while speeding through east Christchurch to escape police.

Canterbury district commander Superintendent Mike Johnson said police were urgently seeking Liam Strickland, 21, after he allegedly fatally struck a man who tried to flag the van down in New Brighton yesterday.

Strickland has several warrants for his arrest.

After the crash, the driver took off, leaving the pedestrian lying unmoving at the intersection of Hawke St and Shaw Ave, as witnesses rushed to help him.

The tragedy began to unfold just before 2pm, when police tried to stop a car in New Brighton. The car took off, and a pursuit began.

Johnson said officers called off the pursuit because of the way the car was being driven.

Police spotted the car again soon after and arrested two of the three people who were in it. One of those was Marcel Geros, sources confirmed.

The third person took off, stealing a nearby white van and ramming a police dog van, Johnson said.

The stolen van then fatally hit the pedestrian and took off with its back door open.

Johnson said police were then trying to find the stolen van and the driver.

‘‘The full circumstances are being investigated by police and the [Independent Police Complaints Authority] will be notified,’’ he said.

A friend of the dead man said he had been living in a van in a car park, which had become a homeless community, on the corner of Shaw Ave and Hawke St.

People at the scene cried and held each other after the crash.

Flooring consultant Renee Elizabeth was working at a property on Shaw Ave when she heard sirens outside. A man had jumped the back fence and stolen her work van, which had the keys inside and the boot open. She saw the van reverse out of the driveway and crash into a police car.

The driver then sped down Shaw Ave and about 30 seconds later hit a man who appeared to be crossing the road, she said. ‘‘Then I just heard screams. ‘‘I went down there thinking the man might have been all right but when we got there he wasn’t; they were bringing out the sheets.’’

The van was later found in Burwood, Elizabeth said.

Sam Heselwood, a fire installer, was working on a roof in Pages Rd when he saw the police give chase.

He later filmed a white van driving erratically, mount the pavement and almost hit a pedestrian.

‘‘We heard some screeching and there was a Subaru Legacy. There was one cop car chasing at that point,’’ Heselwood said.

‘‘Ten minutes later he came screaming by at 200kmh and there were about 10 cop cars after him.’’

‘‘He came screaming by at 200kmh and there were about 10 cop cars after him.’’ Witness Sam Heselwood