‘He would’ve smashed me’
Motorist caught in pursuit that ended in car crash shaken
Amotorist is shaken up and scared after being caught in the middle of a police pursuit that ended in a car crash yesterday morning. “He would’ve smashed into me,” Renee June said.
June was heading to work at 5am from her home in Henderson and was on Lincoln Rd when the incident unfolded.
“I was driving to work and stopped at the lights by the Mobil petrol station.
“I saw a lot of police cars coming from the opposite side. Then another car with no lights came speeding. I thought it was going to crash into me.
“But it didn’t, it crashed into the car next to me.”
June said she was scared because the man looked very angry and would keep trying to drive the car further.
“His back end was blocking my car, and my car was in his way I think.
“He was a big build guy and he was angry. It was really scary.”
June said before this crash, the driver had hit another car.
“I just drove my car to the opposite side where the police were.
“I am shaken up and scared, what if he smashed into me?”
A man is in the hospital after the overnight pursuit ended dramatically with the person involved being hit by a police car near the intersection of Triangle Rd and Lincoln Rd, Henderson.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport agency confirmed that all the on-ramp and off-ramps at Lincoln Rd were opened again late morning, after the incident saw a huge police cordon go up shortly after the crash.
Motorists faced major delays in the surrounding roads and suburbs in Massey and Henderson; as people tried to make their way to and from the motorways.
Authorities confirmed they were initially called to an incident just before 5am in Epsom; where a person had unsuccessfully attempted to steal a vehicle by allegedly showing a gun at a driver on Gillies Avenue.
“After the failed attempt, the offender has then got into another stolen vehicle and left the area,” a statement said.
The police Eagle helicopter had then followed the car to an address on Cedar Heights Avenue in Massey, West Auckland.
“At the property, the offender has attempted to evade the Eagle crew observing from above but instead
He was a big build guy and he was angry. It was really scary...Iam shaken up and scared, what if he smashed into me?. Renee June
was allegedly seen getting into another vehicle.
“A pursuit was engaged and he has allegedly driven this vehicle at speed, entering the motorway network on Royal Rd. Spikes were successfully deployed on the on-ramp.
“The offender has continued to travel at speed and exited the motorway at Lincoln Rd.
“At this point, he has allegedly driven at two members of the public and attempted to steal their vehicles.”
Superintendent Naila Hassan said a police car arrived at the scene then and collided with the offender.
The man, described as a 37-yearold, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Auckland City Hospital for treatment.
He remained under a police guard.
Police expected those will be laid at some stage.
Officers later found a gun inside the stolen vehicle the man had earlier been travelling in from Epsom, police said.
Hassan confirmed several investigations were under way into the circumstances of the incident.
A resident who lived on Preston Ave said he could see police cars parked in his street.
At least two vehicles were involved in a crash on the corner of Triangle and Lincoln Roads; with another vehicle stopped outside a nearby petrol station.
A number of police cars were seen surrounding that particular vehicle. One of the vehicles, a dog handler’s car, has suffered some damage to its front bumper.