Car drives into wedding party

The Copthorne Hotel at Omapere is a popular wedding venue. Photo / Sue Shepherd

What should have been a day of celebration turned to horror when a man allegedly drove a car at speed into a crowd of guests at a Northland wedding.

Three people were injured in the incident outside the Copthorne Hotel in Omapere, South Hokianga, about 4am on Sunday.

Police are still looking for the driver but say they know who he is. They are urging him to hand himself in. The man, believed to be aged 20, had no connection to the wedding but got into a series of fights with guests still socialising after the formal reception had ended.

The victims - women aged 22 and 31, and a man aged 22 - were taken to Whangarei Hospital by St John ambulance with leg and lower back injuries, as well as cuts and bruises. One was thought to have suffered a broken leg but x-rays showed that was not the case. All three have now been discharged. The women are believed to have travelled from Australia for the wedding.

Sergeant Peter Masters of Kerikeri police said the alleged offender got into an argument with a man at the hotel. That led to a fight with several members of the wedding party. A guest managed to calm him down and told him to leave. However, he then got into another fight in front of the hotel, police say.

As he was again being calmed down, the man he had originally argued with came up behind him and king-hit him, Mr Masters said.

Wedding guests managed to get the man into the passenger seat of a car with the intention of driving him away, but the driver got out when he was punched in the face.

"The offender has then got behind the wheel, turned the car and allegedly accelerated into a group of people who had gathered to see what was happening. Most managed to get out of the way but three were hit. He then drove away," Mr Masters said.

Police searched the area on Sunday but the man escaped. A large number of people witnessed the incident.

Copthorne Hotel owner Shane Lloydd said the wanted man was not a guest at the hotel and was not a member of the wedding party. He could not comment further.

Police are urging the driver to hand himself in or contact Detective Patrick Derbyshire at Kerikeri police station on (09) 407 9211. With his birthday coming up on Thursday, the suspect may turn 21 behind bars.