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A man driving on Auckland's North Shore may have saved another driver from serious injury in a road rage attack.
Police have appealed for witnesses after the incident in February left the victim shaken but unharmed.
He was threatened with a baton before the offender fled as two people arrived and told him to put the baton down.
The incident on Barry's Point Road, just north of Auckland Harbour Bridge, could have had serious consequences for the victim had the two people not intervened, said police spokesman Kevin Loughlin.
He said the victim was driving north on the Harbour Bridge about 7am on February 14. During a merging manoeuvre, the offender's car cut into the travel lane of the victim causing sudden breaking and other evasive action to be taken.
When the victim entered Barry's Point Road he was forced to stop behind the offender's car.
"He was then subjected to vigorous verbal abuse from the offender who continued to swear and shout," Mr Loughlin said.
"The confrontation escalated when the offender pulled out a black and yellow baton approximately 50 cm long, and threatened to permanently maim the victim."
Mr Loughlin said one of the two witnesses who then arrived was a solidly built Maori or Polynesian man who told the offender to put the baton down.
"The offender rapidly departed. There was potential for this road rage incident to result in serious or life threatening injury to the victim," he said.
- NZPA
