Cars crash into buildings in South Auckland, five injured

Five people were injured after two separate vehicle crashes saw cars ram into buildings in South Auckland within minutes of each other on Tuesday afternoon.

According to a report by Stuff, the first incident occurred just after 1 pm on Great South Rd in Takanini, where a car was driven at speed into the front of a Bed Bath & Beyond store. A witness said the vehicle ran over the foot of a man who had been standing near the entrance.

Kalush Chand, from neighbouring Repco Takanini, said they heard tyres screeching followed by a loud bang. He said he and his assistant manager rushed outside with cones to secure the area and help those injured. Chand said a man who had just made a purchase at Repco had been struck by a car and had to be carried to receive medical assistance, Stuff has reported.

“One step forward and he would have been killed,” a Bed Bath & Beyond employee told Stuff, adding that the car was going “bloody fast” before smashing through the store’s frontage. The employee said the driver was a woman believed to be in her 30s and that no one else was inside the vehicle, Stuff has reported.

“We were just trying to calm our customers down,” the employee said, noting the crash shattered two windows, destroyed a bed display and damaged multiple products that would now need to be discarded.

Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed they attended the Takanini incident. Authorities said no road closures were required and no one was trapped inside the building.

A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said two ambulances, a rapid response unit and an operations manager were dispatched to the scene.

“One patient, in moderate condition, was transported to Middlemore Hospital.

“Three additional patients, one in moderate condition and two in minor condition, were assessed at the scene and declined treatment,” the spokesperson said, as quoted by Stuff.

Around 20 minutes later, and approximately five minutes away on East St in Papakura, a second crash occurred when another car drove into a building housing surveyors. Police and fire services attended the scene, with no reports of anyone being trapped or any need for road closures.

Hato Hone St John said one ambulance, a rapid response unit and an operations manager were sent to the Papakura crash, Stuff has reported.

One patient, in moderate condition, was assessed and treated at the scene, the spokesperson said.

A witness at the second incident said the woman driving the car was with her family and being cared for following the crash.