Police runaway hit on motorway

Police at the scene of the Southern Motorway accident. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

A man was struck by several vehicles - including an ambulance - when he ran from police and tried to cross the Southern Motorway last night.

He was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Police closed the northbound lanes between the Mt Wellington and Ellerslie/Panmure motorway exits following the 7.20pm accident.

The police serious crash team was called in to investigate.

Inspector Andy Brill said the man was trying to elude police when he was struck.

"He ran from an address the police were just arriving at, out the back door, across the motorway and was hit by a vehicle."

Mr Brill said he could not comment on why police had been called to the house in Portman Rd, Mt Wellington.

The man made it across the southbound lanes but was struck by a vehicle travelling north.

Tangata Tuitupou, 28, said he was playing pool at a house in Portman Rd when the man came running through the property.

"We saw a whole lot of lights and it was the police and the cop was telling us to go back inside. As I was looking down our driveway I saw somebody running down and jumping over the fence on to the motorway.

"Then all of a sudden we heard a big massive noise and dashed on down and [there was] a car and he was lying in front of it."