Family 'shaken' by road rage incident

Police were investigating the incident and said charges against the man were likely. File photo

An Arrowtown family has been left shaken by a road rage incident at the weekend in which a man allegedly forced their vehicle off the road several times, police say.

Acting Sergeant Terry Wood, of Queenstown, said two people and an overseas visitor were assaulted during the incident in Wiltshire St about 7.45pm on Saturday.

A man was exercising a dog with a lead from his vehicle when he got into an altercation with the occupants of another car carrying three adults and three children.

It escalated to the point that the man chased the other vehicle, forcing it off the road three or four times, Sgt Wood said.

The man, who said he was an Arrowtown resident, allegedly assaulted the adults during the incident.

They were not injured, but their vehicle sustained minor damage when the man struck it with his hands, Sgt Wood said.

The "terrified" group managed to escape the scene after a passerby intervened.

"It's not a pleasant experience for anyone to go through."

The man was behaving "very erratically", Sgt Wood said.

"He was already wound up about something.''

Police were investigating the incident and said charges against the man were likely.