Man in custody after carjacking incident in Whangārei

The Hyundai i20 involved in a carjacking in Whangārei this morning is towed away from Riverside Dr. Photo / Imran Ali

Whangārei police have arrested a 21-year-old after a short pursuit following a carjacking incident this morning.

About 10.30am, police were called after members of the public witnessed a man grabbing a woman out of her vehicle on Kamo Rd.

The woman, who was not known to the offender, was struck in the face by the man who fled in her vehicle.

A short pursuit began before the man made a u-turn and crashed into a following police vehicle on Riverside Dr.

The driver got out and ran away but was arrested a short time later while he attempted to carjack another vehicle on Riverside Drive.

The pursuing officer suffered injuries to his hand but managed to arrest the 21-year-old with the help of other officers.

The man is likely to face a number of charges and is expected to appear in the Whangārei District Court tomorrow.