Tearful reunion for car-chase women

Tania Lewis. Photo / APN

A heroic mother has had a tearful reunion with a woman whom she helped to escape from a hammer-wielding man who pursued them in a car chase.

And the Herald has been inundated with offers of second-hand cars and money to fix Tania Lewis' Mitsubishi, after the newspaper yesterday revealed her ordeal.

On Tuesday, the 45-year-old stopped her car on Whangarei's Hilltop Rd to give a distressed woman a ride.

A man lunged at them with a hammer as they drove off before jumping into his own car and giving chase.

He rammed their car several times before the women jumped out and hid until police arrived. The man was arrested a short time later.

Ms Lewis returned to Hilltop Rd yesterday and was reunited with the victim, also aged 45.

"It was just amazing, I was so glad to see her, I cried. We just ran towards each other and hugged each other, it was cool. I'm a bit teary now, actually."

She said the woman "seemed okay, still a bit shaken up but a lot better".

The woman appeared on television last night praising Ms Lewis.

"She's my hero, my saving angel."

The Herald has received dozens of phone calls and emails from people offering to help Ms Lewis, and will put these readers in touch with Ms Lewis.

The car she was driving belonged to her 16-year-old son Levi who bought it with money left to him by his grandmother who died four years ago.

Ms Lewis was lent a car by Moore Cars in Whangarei while her car was being fixed.

"It has been overwhelming how many people are out there who are generous and helpful," Ms Lewis said.