A police spokeswoman this morning said the District Command Centre had told her “as far as they’re aware it was accidental, likely someone accelerating by mistake.”
No charges had been laid at this stage, she said.
A reporter at the scene on Monday said the front of the Westpac building had been smashed in and glass was on the footpath.
The area was cordoned off and a car was being towed.
A witness, who did not wish to be named, said she arrived on the scene shortly after it happened.
”When I arrived, the fire truck was just pulling up. There were already police cars on the scene and they were just cordoning off the area.
”I saw the black SUV was right up on the kerb and a person lying inside the store window.
“Staff from Westpac were kind of just holding this person waiting for [the] ambulance to arrive. It looks like they got pushed through the window.
“It’s what I understand - the car jumped the kerb and hit them through the window.”
Westpac New Zealand head of customer experience north Andrew Twidle said a vehicle drove through the front window of its Bayfair branch just after midday.
”In doing so it struck a pedestrian who was outside the branch at the time.
”No one inside the branch was injured, however, the branch is closed and support is being offered to staff and customers.”
A St John spokesman said one patient was in a serious condition.
St John was notified of the incident on Girven Rd at 12.05pm. Two ambulances and a clinical support manager responded and are still on scene, the spokesman said.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said no one was trapped after a car went into a building at the Bayfair shopping centre.
The spokesman said it was notified at 12.07pm. It sent three fire trucks to the scene and assisted St John.
