Driver: I am so shocked no one died

An Auckland motorist has described the terrifying moment she saw a stolen car hurtling towards her on the motorway.

Two teens and a 12-year-old were arrested by police after two crashes ended a 28-minute ordeal on the Southern Motorway where the car was driven the wrong way yesterday.

A Papakura woman said she was so shaken by a near miss with the oncoming car she had to pull over.

Rose Andrew first noticed the driver 50m in front of her duck down slightly before the front of an oncoming car suddenly loomed ahead of her. “It was really scary,” she said.

“All of a sudden there was the front of a car coming at me.”

Andrew said she was heading north towards Ramarama at about 100km/h and believed the oncoming car was doing about the same.

The oncoming car was driving straight down the middle of the motorway between two lanes, she told the Herald.

“I am so shocked no one died. “I looked in my rear-view mirror and there were just trucks and cars swerving out of the way.”

Police said about 10am officers attempted to stop the stolen car in Pukekohe but were unable to do so.

A pursuit began but was abandoned within minutes because of the way the car was being driven.

The car entered the Southern Motorway at Drury and drove faster than 100km/h in the wrong direction.

The police Eagle helicopter was able to track the car from a distance.

The stolen car briefly exited the motorway before returning. It then performed a U-turn in heavy traffic, crashing into a police dog squad car.

The stolen car then turned back in the right direction but shortly afterwards crashed into a truck near the Papakura off-ramp, partially blocking the northbound lanes.

A member of the public assisted a police officer to apprehend the driver and the two passengers. An 18-year-old girl, believed to be the driver, a 15-year-old boy and 12-yearold girl were taken into custody.