Man in hospital after tackling car-jackers

Ricci Hewitt with the car targeted by two would-be car-jackers on Saturday night. Picture / Martin Sykes

Ricci Hewitt thought the boy-racers who pulled up next to him were just looking for a race.

But within 20 minutes they had tried to steal his customised Honda and had run over his father, leaving him for dead.

Police are investigating the attempted car-jacking at the Hewitts' Glendene, Auckland, home at the weekend.

John Hewitt, who had tried to stop the car-jacking taking place in his driveway, is recovering in hospital from injuries that include five broken ribs, a punctured kidney and a ruptured spleen. He still needs support to breathe.

"They knocked my mum over as she tried to stop them, then they ran over dad," Ricci said last night.

"They almost killed him and they just didn't care."

Seventeen-year-old Ricci was on his way home from working on a friend's car when the thieves struck on Saturday night. As the car-painter pulled up at lights he was challenged to a race.

"That's something I never do so I just let them pull ahead, but then they started swerving into me and trying to cut me off," said Ricci.

The men chased Ricci home, driving their Mitsubishi Galant into the back of his car.

"They smashed the windows so I jumped out thinking they were after me, but then they got in and I realised they wanted the car."

Ricci's parents heard the commotion and came to his aid.

His mother, Pauline, got into the passenger side of the car but was thrown out. Mr Hewitt attempted to tackle the man in the driver's seat.

As the driver reversed, Mr Hewitt was knocked over by the door and dragged under the wheels.

Seeing his father in the road, Ricci lunged at the driver and punched him, then grabbed the car keys from the ignition.

The men then ran to their own car and drove off.

Mr Hewitt is expected to take at least two months to recover from his injuries.

Ricci said his family had moved to their new home three months ago and had never experienced anything like what happened.

Mrs Hewitt, who was visiting her husband in hospital last night, said she was traumatised and did not want to speak about what had happened.

Henderson police Detective Sergeant Stan Brown said the crime was "Very, very bad. Here's two people trying to protect their own property and someone was obviously quite determined to get this car.

"It's a very brave action, but at the end of the day it is only a car and we've got to look at the other angle: was it really worth it?"

The men, one of whom was described as a 1.8m athletically built European, were in a silver Mitsubishi Galant.