Police were last night searching for the driver involved in a high-speed car crash, after the vehicle involved flew more than 15m in the air and slammed into a ditch near Hastings.
Road policing Sergeant Kevin Stewart said police received a call "just moments" prior to the crash alerting them of the erratic driving.
He said the vehicle was spotted at about 8.30pm along Stock Rd, near Hastings Golf Course, "driving dangerously" before the driver lost control on a bend while travelling toward the junction with Maraekakaho Rd.
"When I arrived there was no one here, just the smashed car," Mr Stewart said.
"It was a high-speed crash and it appears the car has flown through the air for about 15m, over the driveway, before crashing into the ditch.
"I'm very surprised there were no serious injuries."
A resident said he came outside to find his dog and noticed "five or six" people "casually" walking up the street away from the scene.
"They were just walking down the road like it was another day in the park.
"We get a lot of people walking up this road but then I saw the wrecked car and went back inside to call the cops."
Mr Stewart said police dog teams were brought in to try to locate those who had left the crash scene.
Senior Constable Ian Cheyne said that during searches, four males were questioned in relation to the smash along Stock Rd shortly after the accident. However the driver appeared to have fled the scene.
When Hawke's Bay Today went to print police were still investigating the crash and searching for the driver.