Police warn that kidnapper should not be approached

Police are hunting a 26-year-old man described as armed and dangerous after another man found bound and gagged in a crashed car said he had been kidnapped.

The man being sought is described as a pale-skinned Maori, who was thought to be heading for Auckland. Police say he should not be approached and anyone seeing him should contact police immediately.

Police and other emergency services were called to a crash on State Highway 1 at Ohau, south of Levin, at 2.30am yesterday and found a car which had crashed through a fence at high speed, in a paddock.

The vehicle was impaled on a large timber fence post which had narrowly missed the occupants.

The driver had run away after the crash, which was seen by a passer-by who alerted police.

"The driver got out of the vehicle and ran from the scene leaving the passenger bound and gagged in the car," Detective Sergeant Pete Govers said.

Mr Govers said the drived could have got a ride in a passing car and be out of the district or he could have gone to ground and be waiting for the chance to steal another vehicle and continue his trip to Auckland. 

The 30-year-old victim, from Porirua, was uninjured apart from a bump on the head which he received when he was hit with a bottle by the attacker.

The drama started some time during Tuesday night when the two men were drinking at a Porirua house.

"We believe that the offender has also taken some form of controlled drugs at that time," Mr Govers said.

It appears the kidnapper had hit the victim with a bottle, tied him up and threatened him with a knife while demanding his car keys and money machine card.

He then gagged the victim by putting tape across the man's mouth. The man was then taken out to the car and put in the front passenger seat.

The offender then started to drive north.

"We believe the offender's intentions were to drive north to Auckland," Mr Govers said. 

Police confirmed the car with the two men in it stopped at the Shell service station in Mana and again at the BP station at Coastlands.

From there the offender continued north until he failed to negotiate a slight bend in the road.

Police at the scene of the crash said it appeared the car had lost traction because of the wet conditions and speed and crashed through the fence backwards.

- HOROWHENUA-KAPITI CHRONICLE (LEVIN)