A teenager is critically ill in hospital after a car hit a person and smashed into a transformer during a gang brawl involving at least 20 people in Rotorua early today.
The teenager, who the Rotorua Daily Post understands was driving the car, is in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital and a young man in his early 20s is in Rotorua Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Two female teenagers were also taken to hospital.
Power was cut to 61 homes.
Police were alerted to the chaos in Wrigley Rd, Fordlands, at 1.23am when a caller reported at least 20 males fighting on the street.
A police spokesman said the caller ''thought a vehicle had crashed into a fence and saw people running from the scene in all directions''.
''It may have related to a party in the street.''
A police spokeswoman said a vehicle leaving the area had hit a pedestrian before crashing through a fence and hitting the power box.
The pedestrian is in Rotorua hospital with a broken leg, she said.
Police are investigating.
Rotorua fire brigade senior station officer Jim Prescott said the car driver was freed by firefighters.
Prescott said the driver allegedly hit a rival gang member and crashed into the transformer.
''They were just a bunch of unpleasant people, yelling at us to bugger off, but ambulance [officers] couldn't get him out of the car.''
Prescott said the driver appeared to have a head injury.
Resident Gary Williams said there was a party in the street earlier in the evening.
''We are pretty used to it around this area. I heard a party and drinking and all that,'' he said.
''It was really friendly and they were having a laugh.''
The arguments and fighting then started, he said.
''That's when I woke up.''
A holidaymaker from the East Coast who did not want to be named said he also heard arguing and fighting.
''I heard enough to get out of bed.''
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said her family was woken by a big bang that sounded like a bomb going off.
''It gave us a hell of a fright. We could hear all this yelling and a big commotion before it happened.''
By the time they went outside to investigate other people had come out of their houses.
A car had crashed through a fence and into a transformer, the neighbour said.
Resident Wendy Werahiko heard "a big ruckus on the street".
Her power was cut. ''I have all my Christmas meat in the freezer. I can't have Christmas tomorrow.''
Unison relationship manager Danny Gough said most customers had power restored ''quite quickly'' and all 61 affected customers should have had power by about 10am today.
The damage would determine whether the entire transformer had to be replaced or if it could be fixed.
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