Knife-wielding man takes women drivers hostage

A man armed with a knife took two women hostage in their vehicles near Auckland yesterday.

The first woman was putting groceries into her 1996 BMW saloon at the Four Square at Coatesville when she was approached by a man just before 3pm, police said.

A spokesman said the woman was taken from the carpark in her car but was let go a short time later.

The BMW was then driven until it crashed and rolled onto its roof on State Highway 17, which connects with the Coatesville-Riverhead Highway and runs through Albany.

Inspector Darroch Todd of the police northern communications centre said the man then approached a female driver who had stopped to offer help.

He got into the woman's Ford Laser and she drove him to the North Shore Hospital. Mr Todd said it was not known if force was used.

It is understood the man arrived at the hospital suffering from self-inflicted stab wounds.

He was reported to be in a stable condition and was under police guard last night.

A knife was recovered from the crashed BMW.

The women, who were not physically harmed, were interviewed by police last night.