A ute driver allegedly brandished a 30cm boning knife at a Tauranga man.
A Tauranga motorist claims he was chased by a knife-wielding driver in a road-rage incident.
Other locals say they have had confrontations with a person in a similar vehicle.
Police urge anyone with information to contact them, referencing file 250520/5191.
“I was in survival mode,” says a Tauranga motorist who claims he was chased and confronted by a knife-wielding ute driver in an alleged “road-rage” incident caught on dashcam.
Police are now seeking the ute driver “with urgency” and encouraging anyone who has encountered the vehicle to come forward.
Themotorist, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, spoke out to warn the community after the Tuesday incident in Welcome Bay.
The man told the Bay of Plenty Times he first noticed a white ute travelling behind him on Welcome Bay Rd not long after leaving home about 12.30pm to go mountain biking in Rotorua.
He claimed that just before the 80km/h speed zone, “the other driver sped up and drove dangerously close to my vehicle … He was only about one car length behind me”.
He alleged the following driver was “acting aggressively and driving erratically”, and crossed the centre line, then dangerously cut in front of him, slammed on the brakes and slowed down to walking speed.”
He said at one point the driver stuck his arm out of his window, seemingly to give him “the finger”.
“But I then saw he was brandishing a 30cm, bladed boning knife in his right hand towards me.”
He pulled over at Asher Rd and Welcome Bay Rd intersection to decide what to do.
“I was sitting there assessing the situation, and saw the ute driver stop and fling open the driver’s door.
“He started stomping aggressively towards me, brandishing the knife,” he claimed.
A ute driver holds a knife out of his window during the incident in Welcome Bay.
Concerned the man intended to cause him “serious harm”, he turned around, drove home and called 111. He said the operator told him police were too busy to attend immediately.
He said he had wondered since if the incident was an attempt to steal his mountain bike worth $10,000-$12,000, which was on his bike rack.
“I don’t really know what the man’s intentions were or what triggered this because I didn’t do anything to provoke such extreme, aggressive behaviour. But I didn’t wait around to find out.
“I wasn’t fearful as such at the time. But I was definitely in survival mode.”
He described the alleged offender as heavily built, possibly in his late 40s, of Māori or Pacific Island descent and wearing red shorts and a black hoodie.
He said he and his wife were speaking out to warn others and urged anyone with any information to come forward to the police, who had been provided with the dashcam footage.
The man’s wife said it appeared her husband was not alone in being confronted by this person.
Others in a local social media group had shared similar stories of incidents involving a man and vehicle fitting the same description.
“We would hate to learn that someone was actually harmed or robbed by this person.”
A police spokeswoman confirmed an online complaint was received on Tuesday and police were investigating.
Western Bay of Plenty relieving area commander Inspector Logan Marsh said police were taking the incident seriously and were conscious of information suggesting it may not be a one-off event.
“We are working to locate the person involved in the incident with urgency. This incident is absolutely concerning, and quite frankly it won’t be tolerated,” he said.
“We are aware of the social media comments suggesting this is not an isolated event, and it’s important that we hear from anyone who has experienced a similar incident on the road so we can put a stop to it.”
Western Bay of Plenty district relieving area commander Inspector Logan Marsh. Photo / Supplied
Marsh said there had been no reported fresh sightings of the ute.
He encouraged anyone with information or footage of any incidents in the area to report them to police via 105 online or on the phone.
People should use reference number 250520/5191, Marsh said.
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.
