Kerikeri crash sparks fears for missing driver but he fled unhurt, first responders find

Emergency service personnel feared the driver of this Ford Falcon Typhoon had been seriously injured on Kerikeri's Wharau Rd on Tuesday night. Photo / Supplied

Emergency services wasted close to three hours looking for a man they feared had been seriously injured only to find out he had fled the scene of a crash unhurt.

Senior Sergeant Phil Le Comte said Tuesday night's incident, on Wharau Rd, near Kerikeri, was ''disappointing''.

Police, St John Ambulance and Kerikeri Fire Brigade were called about 8.10pm when locals investigating a loud bang discovered the wreckage of a Ford Falcon Typhoon which had left the road at a corner then hit a tree and a strainer post.

The driver was not present when police arrived so, given the damage to the car and the amount of debris at the scene, they searched the area for a body or badly injured person.

Initial steps were taken to prepare a helicopter landing site in case it was needed.

''The driver initially fled the scene. It was an anxious time for investigating emergency staff trying to locate the occupant of the vehicle. We were relieved to finally confirm some hours later the occupant of the vehicle was uninjured,'' Le Comte said.

When tested the 58-year-old recorded a breath alcohol level below the 250mcg per litre limit.

He was issued a written warning for careless driving.

''Of concern was the fact that his actions tied up emergency services for a number of hours unnecessarily. We understand there are various pressures as a result of the lockdown but there's a bigger picture and a need for people to consider the consequences of their actions during this time,'' Le Comte said.