School students’ narrow escape as car drives erratically down Mangere East street

Screengrab of video footage of a car almost hitting school students in Mangere East, Auckland, on 25 May 2023.

Shocked schoolkids scattered as a car was driven erratically down a suburban Auckland street yesterday, with the driver narrowly missing a school student before pulling a u-turn and driving along a footpath and berm where another two students were almost struck.

One student was backed against a fence, their arms raised in the air, as the black peoplemover swung at low speed onto the footpath, while another ran onto the road as vehicle drove along the footpath and berm, crushing at least one large bag of rubbish.

Other students ran after the vehicle, some throwing objects in its direction. At least 20 teens can be seen in the footage.

A school student is shown scampering off a footpath in this video screengrab after a vehicle was driven at students in Woburn St, Mangere East, yesterday.

The mother of one of the students posted video, shot from two angles, to her Facebook page today showing the dramatic incident in the south Auckland suburb of Mangere East.

“Keep a look out for this car please, she almost ran my son and his cousin over as they were walking to their pickup point yesterday after school.”

The incident occurred about 3.15pm yesterday on Woburn St, near the intersection of Portage Rd, the woman told the Herald.

Her son saw a shirtless student with what seemed like an “aggressive and confrontational” demeanour being picked up by the peoplemover outside school.

“Luckily my son and the other students were able to escape unscathed but the incident has traumatised him and most likely the other students as well.”

She monitors her son’s social media and became aware of the incident after seeing another student post footage of it online.

“I have not reported it to the police yet, only to the school’s principal …[who] advised me to do so. I will be doing that tomorrow.”