Manukau mall incident: Injured victim dies in hospital, driver faces further charges

A man who was seriously injured after a car ploughed into pedestrians at an Auckland mall has died.

Gary Cowley, 59, of Manurewa died in hospital yesterday, almost three weeks after the driver allegedly hit multiple pedestrians at Westfield Manukau.

Six people were treated at Middlemore Hospital with a range of injuries following the crash on Sunday March 20 around 1pm.

"Police's thoughts and sympathies are with his family at this difficult time," said Detective Senior Sergeant Kevin Tiernan.

Another person who was seriously injured remains in hospital in a stable condition.

The other victims have since been discharged from hospital.

The alleged driver of the car, who has interim name suppression, is facing further charges following Cowley's death.

The woman, 35, will be charged with reckless driving causing death and driving with excess breath alcohol causing death, police said.

The charges will be laid at her next appearance at Manukau District Court on Tuesday.

'Big bang'

A woman who witnessed the aftermath of the car ploughing into pedestrians said she joined other shoppers in rushing to the aid of the injured.

The witness said she ran to the scene after hearing a "big bang" from the nearby Coffee Club.

She said the sound of the impact was so loud she initially thought a truck must have slammed into the low ceiling of the car park.

She discovered it was a car that had taken out three steel bollards on Amersham Way on its way into the covered car park.

She said one male patient was "swearing his head off" in the immediate aftermath, with another female patient conscious and three older patients unresponsive.