Carjacking ends in crash

A man will appear in court tomorrow after allegedly hijacking a car as it headed towards the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

It is alleged he robbed a motorist of his car in Freemans Bay before crashing it into a traffic light at the intersection of Upper Harbour Drive and Albany Highway on the North Shore after a brief police pursuit.

Senior Sergeant Mark Fergus said a man was driving his vehicle on Curran St, Freemans Bay, approaching the Auckland Harbour Bridge about 4pm.

A man, unknown to the victim, approached the car, opened the door and forced him from his car.

He then drove on to the Auckland Harbour Bridge. "He was followed by a witness who reported the suspect's movements to police. The witness followed the stolen car to Glenfield," said Fergus.

A police patrol spotted the vehicle and signalled the driver to stop. "The driver sped away in an attempt to evade police, and a short pursuit followed along Glenfield Rd, on to Albany Highway," he said.

Fergus said no other vehicles were involved when the stolen car crashed.

The alleged offender, aged 22, sustained non life-threatening injuries. He has been released from hospital, where he was last night under police guard, and will face charges of robbery, reckless driving and failing to stop when he appears in the North Shore District Court tomorrow. Further charges may be laid.

The victim of the robbery was unharmed.

Meanwhile, a man critically injured in a crash in the southern Hawke's Bay last night died after he could not be revived.

Emergency services were called to the crash on State Highway 2 near the intersection with Tataramoa Rd, about 9km north of Dannevirke, about 7.15pm.

Ambulance workers tried to revive the man but he died from his injuries.