Hammer attacker still on the run after man injured in Clive

The police cordon on the corner of State Highway 2, and Farndon Road in Clive where a man was assaulted on Tuesday night. Photo/ Paul Taylor.

Police are still hunting for the man who put another in hospital on Tuesday night after hitting out with a hammer.

At 5.50pm on Tuesday police received reports of two men fighting in the middle of Farndon Rd, Clive before one of the men took off on foot.

The man hit by the hammer was moderately injured and was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital just after 6pm.A hospital spokeswoman said the man was discharged after lunch yesterday.

A dog unit and police searched the area for more than three hours but the other man, who was believed to be still in possession of the hammer, was not found.

Resident Olivia Smith was driving along Farndon Rd just after 5.30pm and said she "literally had to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting the men in the middle of the road".

"It was after I had come around the first bend of Farndon Rd towards Hastings I noticed multiple cars pulled over at different places with their hazard lights on. I didn't see them physically fighting but it looked like something was going on."

Andy Green also saw the incident when he was driving to rugby training at Clive Rugby Club.

Mr Green said he saw two men in an altercation on the side of the road and cars were flicking their lights to warn drivers.

Police closed Farndon Rd for a time while they searched the area and people were not able to access Clive War Memorial Pool.

Residents in Clive said they saw police with large flashlights driving past their houses multiple times and were advised to stay indoors and call 111 if they saw anything suspicious.

It is understood a tourist was picking up a hitchhiker before the altercation occurred involving the tourist's car on Farndon Rd.

A spokeswoman said police were following a strong line of inquiry.