Child, 3, flung from car

A woman faces serious charges after reportedly speeding away from a West Auckland car crash last night in which a three-year-old girl was flung from the car on to the road.

The girl was taken to Starship Children's Hospital with head injuries, and was in a moderate condition early today.

Police say the woman was later arrested on undisclosed charges and processed for excess breath alcohol.

Police did not attend the scene, but became involved after ambulance officers contacted them about difficulties managing the woman.

A person who claimed to be the sister of a man who went to the child's rescue wrote about the crash in a Trade Me internet chatroom.

Her brother told her a young girl appeared to have been thrown from the vehicle after it collided with a signpost, before crashing in a ditch some distance down the hill on Huia Rd at about 7pm. He estimated the woman had been travelling at speeds of more than 100km/h and swerved all over the road before hitting the signpost and causing the child to be thrown from the vehicle through the passenger window.

The Trade Me posting said: "My brother...went to talk to the woman and asked her if she had a child in the car...

"The little girl had a very serious gash to the back of her head. My brother said he was so goddam angry he almost lost it. He was lucky he knows his first aid."