The loader is driven towards a group of boy racers on Mahuta Station Rd on Friday night. Photo / rfbdaily
The loader is driven towards a group of boy racers on Mahuta Station Rd on Friday night. Photo / rfbdaily
A man, apparently frustrated by a group of boy racers, took to a loader and attempted to scoop up a car in a tense confrontation with the group at Huntly.
A witness to the Friday night incident says the man's actions "genuinely scared" a few of the boy racers, who all eventually fled the scene after the piece of machinery was driven out of a neighbouring contracting yard.
The owner of Colin Slater Contracting, Bronwyn Slater, declined to make any comment when contacted by the Herald, saying she was away for the weekend and didn't know anything about it.
Police confirmed they received several reports of disorder on Rotowaro Rd on Friday night "where a number of anti-social road users were gathered".
"A male driving a digger reportedly entered the scene and damaged a small number of vehicles.
"Police attended, and are working to gather more information to help determine what occurred."
The police spokesperson said they urged anyone who saw activity that concerned them to contact police straight away, "rather than taking actions which might put themselves and others at risk".
The loader driver's actions had been getting mixed reviews on the Facebook page which posted the video - rfbdaily - with boy racers and their supporters upset, while many locals applauded his actions, one calling for the man to be appointed the town's mayor.
One local resident said she had driven through the group of "idiots" previously and been stuck in their convoy.
"A friend of mine driving home from my house one night was crashed into when trying to get thru these cars. (sic)
"This group is dangerous and reckless. They cause so much damage to the area. The police do nothing because there is too many cars. This is true Huntly justice and I love it!!!
"This GC is a legend make him the mayor!
"All you little boy racers with your shitty cheap cars, piss off and do your skids in Auckland," she wrote.
The witness - and fellow boy racer - said they went to the scene about 10.50pm and were there about 10 to 15 minutes when a loader appeared out of nowhere.
"Only one person skidded so we all were just having fun yarns and all, I look behind us and a loader is coming out of the Colin Slater Contractor yard which is located right outside the skid spot, just at the start of Mahuta Station Rd.
"The loader exited the contractor yard and turned towards a Ford Falcon and lowered its bucket.
"Many of us thought he was trying to scare us until he started to try lift the car."
The loader is driven towards a group of boy racers on Mahuta Station Rd on Friday night. Photo / rfbdaily
He said the owner of the car jumped in and drove off.
Chaos ensued as many of them were "genuinely scared" of what the man was doing with the loader.
"Everyone was running around getting to their cars since they were genuinely scared.
"One boy racer, who had jumped out of the passenger side of a [car], had a bar in his hand ready to climb up to the loader and smash the windscreen. He was not scared at all."
However, the group told the guy to get back in his car, which he did, then left.
He said the driver of the machine didn't yell or say anything to them as he drove around.
"The loader guy was just driving around like a headless chicken. He didn't say anything."
Most of the group stopped up the road at a local "car crew house to tell them what was going on".
"Most of us left Huntly to continue on with our night at a next spot in Hamilton.
The boy racer said he'd heard the loader driver had "had enough" with them, wasn't happy with them being at that particularly spot, which he said had been "used for years now".
He said there were no houses for a "couple kilometres" which was why they had used that spot.
"That's why the spot has always been great. Never had complaints."
Asked whether they'd go back or had been put off by what happened, the witness said they were currently "avoiding" that particular spot.
However, they would return if police decided to lay charges against the loader driver.
The witness said members of other car crews within Auckland, Hamilton and most of Waikato, said Hamilton "just has s*** skids and the locals get fed up with them hence why Auckland has never had any problems".
Four or five police cars were seen heading to the scene as the boy racers left.
