KEY POINTS:
Traffic on an Auckland motorway was brought to a standstill today by a man trying to stop cars and then steal them.
Police are appealing for witnesses to the bizarre incident that unfolded near Drury on the Southern Motorway around 7.45am this morning.
They are treating it as an attempted car-jacking.
Inspector Matt Sillars of the police northern communications centre said police stopped behind a vehicle that appeared to be broken down and were confronted by an agitated male who threatened to commit suicide and then proceeded to run in front of motorway traffic.
The man managed to stop vehicles travelling north. He ordered the driver of one car out of the vehicle in an attempt to take it.
He then attempted to take a second car that had stopped behind it as the motorway became blocked.
The male was then tackled by one of the officers, who received minor injuries.
Police are now searching for the people in the two cars who left the scene before they were spoken to.
One of the victim's vehicles was a silver coupe, either a Mazda or Toyota, with two female occupants.
The other vehicle was a Toyota Hilux 4WD, with a male occupant.
- NZPA
