Pakuranga crash: Truck driver flees from angry locals after smashing into parked car

A driver was seen fleeing from angry locals after his truck crashed into a parked car in east Auckland.

The truck collided with a stationary car on Gossamer Dr, Pakuranga Heights, Auckland around 9.25pm on Thursday.

Photos from the aftermath of the crash show the truck rolled on its side next to a car with its rear caved in.

Police confirmed one person left the scene before they arrived and inquiries are ongoing.

A truck collided with parked vehicles last night on Gossamer Drive, Pakuranga Heights, Auckland.

A local woman, who asked not to be named, told the Herald she was glad no one was hurt.

“It just happened so fast,” she said.

“We assumed he was going to sit on the kerb or [he was] just moving out of the way but when people tried to approach him he started running down the hill.

“We tried to chase him but he ran down Larne Ave too fast.”

Man flees after crashing truck into parked cars in Pakuranga Heights.

Several witnesses also posted on social media saying the driver of the truck ran away from the scene after causing the crash.

“I came out as soon as it happened as it shook the floor with the impact, and went to see if everyone was okay but he was the only one involved.

“He jumped out of the cab. I tried asking him ‘are you ok, what happened’? He wouldn’t say anything then he started to walk a bit down the road and ‘I yelled you can’t leave’ and he just gapped it,” another witness said on Facebook.

“Tried chasing him same as the other guy but he was off. Spoke to his boss when he turned up who obviously was not impressed,” a man said on social media.

Debris from the crash was strewn across the road which blocked motorists trying to pass through. Police have been contacted for comment.

Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021, as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.