Three Auckland Grammar School students were injured after they were allegedly struck by a vehicle in what police describe as a deliberate attack during a violent series of incidents across Auckland on Wednesday morning.
CCTV footage obtained by Stuff shows five students riding their bicycles along Ranfurly Road in Epsom before a vehicle, travelling at high speed, ploughs into three of them.
According to Stuff, one student remains in a critical condition in Auckland City Hospital, while two others sustained serious and moderate injuries.
The incident was part of a wider chain of events that began around 7.05 am, when a female jogger was seriously assaulted at the intersection of Manukau Road and Ranfurly Road in what police believe was a random attack, as reported by Stuff.
According to police, a member of the public stopped to assist the injured woman before the alleged offender stole the Good Samaritan's vehicle and fled the scene.
Police allege the stolen vehicle then collided with several other cars before deliberately targeting five Auckland Grammar students who were cycling along Manukau Road, Stuff has reported.
District Commander Sundip Patel said the boys were taking part in a cycling club ride when they were struck from behind.
"These will be life-altering events," Patel said, Stuff has quoted.
Emergency responders treated the injured cyclists at the scene before they were transported to Auckland City Hospital.
In a statement, Auckland Grammar School said it was "devastated" by the incident.
"Our immediate priority is the health, safety, and well-being of the affected students and their families," the school said, as reported by Stuff.
"We are also ensuring that counselling and support services are made available to members of our wider school community who have been impacted by this incident," as quoted by Stuff.
According to Stuff, police said a 49-year-old man is under guard in Auckland City Hospital and is expected to face 14 charges, including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assault with a weapon, dangerous driving, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and failing to stop after causing injury.
Authorities also allege that after crashing the stolen vehicle, the man approached a woman walking two dogs, fatally attacked one of the animals and was eventually subdued by police using a Taser before being arrested, Stuff has reported.
Witnesses reported the suspect was not wearing pants during the incident.
Tasman service station employee Manthan Patel said the man drove onto the forecourt in a badly damaged vehicle following the earlier crashes.
“He just came into the Tasman fuel station in a totally damaged car,” Patel told Stuff.
Patel said the man then crashed into another vehicle before attempting to steal a second car.
“He was trying to steal another car, but the key wasn’t inside, so he couldn’t start it,” as quoted by Stuff.
He described the suspect as behaving erratically while staff and customers feared for their safety.
“He was very aggressive. I was on the phone to police saying we needed help as soon as possible. Everybody here was scared,” Stuff has quoted.
Another witness, who was at a nearby café, said she saw the man “going backwards and forwards” near Marivare Reserve while “screaming and shouting something” before police arrived, as quoted by Stuff.
She said she called emergency services after seeing the man cross the road, and while still speaking to the operator, heard a loud crash, although she did not witness the collision itself.
Police investigations into the incident remain ongoing, Stuff has reported.