Residents hurt in home invasion

HUNT: Police at BP service station in Bay View during a pursuit related to a home invasion in Hastings. PHOTO PAUL TAYLOR

Two Hastings residents are injured after being assaulted during a home invasion this morning from which the offenders fled in a stolen vehicle before crashing near Taupo.

Police said a man and woman in their early 20s had their home invaded about 4:30am this morning.

Two men entered the Hastings house and seriously assaulted the occupants.

The duo sustained broken elbows, a broken wrist and finger and a suspected fractured eye socket.

One of the offenders was armed with and used a wooden bat or pole, police said. They also stole property from the house.

They then fled the area in a stolen silver Nissan Primera sedan with the registration AAN887.

Police pursued the vehicle after a member of the public alerted them, but the pursuit was abandoned just four to five minutes into the chase.

The driver of the stolen car had been driving at excess speed, crossing the centre line and overtaking several cars dangerously, police said.

Hours later police then set off on a second pursuit of the Nissen Primera in Taupo at about 11.45am.

The driver failed to stop for police.

The car then veered off the road after it hit road spikes which police had set up on State Highway Six near Mountain Rd. It came to a stop after crashing into a tree.

All three occupants sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospitals in the upper North Island.

Police are investigating all three incidents and no further comment will be made at this stage.

Any sightings of the Nissan, in particular the manner of driving leading up to and during the incidents, can be reported to Napier and Taupo Police