Arrow fired into campervan

An arrow was fired into a campervan on State Highway 1 just north of Blenheim last night.

A family was driving north in the campervan about 8.45pm when the driver noticed a southbound vehicle coming towards them very slowly, a Blenheim police spokeswoman said today.

As the vehicle passed the campervan, the driver heard a thud and after stopping to check, found an arrow lodged in the side of the van.

The campervan driver could not recall any details of the suspect vehicle and police were relying on "forensic elimination" to track down the archer, the spokeswoman said.

Police want to speak to anyone with information about the incident.

Senior Sergeant Tony Sampson, of Blenheim police, said the family were horrified to find a crossbow-type bolt lodged in the side of the van.

Although they were unharmed, the family was badly shaken by the experience, he said.

Mr Sampson said the bolt was about 16cm long, with a yellow metal shaft, probably aluminium, with a sharp pointed end and a dual plastic fin.

It had a similar diameter to a pencil and appeared to have come from a crossbow-type weapon.

"It sort of looks like a throwing dart, but with only two fins," Mr Sampson said.

"It's definitely come from a specific weapon that I have yet to identify."

Police wanted to hear from anyone who knew of someone recently taking possession of a crossbow or similar weapon.

"Someone will know that somebody has got this thing and the user will have been firing it, playing with it and showing it off," Mr Sampson said.

He said there was a high potential for the bolt to have caused serious injury.

"There's no way this could have been an aimed shot. It was a moving vehicle."

Mr Sampson said the bolt could have pierced the van completely or gone through a window, hitting an occupant or a bystander.

"We're looking at a potentially very serious situation," he said. "The potential is horrifying."

- NZPA