Driver killed in six-car pile-up

The driver of the car covered by a tarpaulin died after a Jeep flipped onto his car in Albany yesterday. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The driver of a Jeep that crashed into a police car and caused a fatal six-car pile-up was making obscene gestures at police moments before the crash, a witness said.

An elderly man was killed when the black Jeep Cherokee landed on his silver Honda at the intersection of Rosedale Rd and Bush Rd on Auckland's North Shore about 1pm yesterday.

A policewoman who was in the car hit by the Jeep told a van driver who witnessed the crash, Gareth Forster, that the Cherokee driver had been "flipping me" before the crash.

She gestured with her hand to show she meant giving her the fingers as she told him, Mr Forster said.

The Jeep and the police car were going in the same direction when the officers saw the Jeep coming behind them "at considerable speed".

Police took evasive action by switching lanes but the Jeep hit the back of them and flipped, crossed the centre line, and landed on the elderly man's car.

The dead man, who is believed to have lived nearby, was turning left from Bush Rd onto Rosedale Rd.

The collision caused the police car to shoot 50m across the intersection, hit two cars and a courier van, and narrowly miss another van.

Police said the patrol car had been travelling to an incident, but say it wasn't involved in a pursuit.

North Shore Area Commander Les Paterson said the police car had slowed to a virtual stop as it approached the intersection and was caught behind other cars at a red light.

Mr Forster said he and others tried to help the Jeep driver out of the car by kicking in the windows, but the driver managed to open the door and crawl out of the upside down vehicle.

"He was bleeding and quite shaken up. He seemed concussed and wasn't able to answer any of our questions."

The driver, believed to be in his 50s, lay on the side of the road before he was taken to hospital.

Police last night wouldn't comment on reports that he threatened to kill himself before he left home yesterday.

A spokesman said more details would be released this morning.

Courier driver Lovey Woodhouse saw the police car with its lights flashing, "flying" along Rosedale Rd towards her.

She told the Herald she saw the police car move into the median strip and thought police were chasing the car.

She could see it approach the intersection over a rise from her van that was elevated. She said it was going fast -"definitely over 50, you could tell".

Ms Woodhouse said she braced herself as the police car careered through the intersection towards her.

"I just locked my hands on the wheel and held on like hell. I turned my head away so I wouldn't be hit by any flying glass."

She couldn't move out of the way because there was a lane full of cars to her left.