Serious crash closes Auckland's Southern Motorway at Princes St

The chilling moment a stolen car hurtles the wrong way along the Southern Motorway, crashing into an innocent motorist was captured on camera.

The stolen car was being followed by the police Eagle helicopter at the time of the crash, which closed all the motorway's southbound lanes this morning.

Four people were injured in the sickening head-on collision.

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The vehicle was being monitored at a distance by the Eagle helicopter - and travelling the wrong way towards southbound traffic - when it crashed into another vehicle.

The crash took place about 10am. All motorway lanes re-opened about 12:30pm.

Footage captured the stolen car travelling the wrong way down the Southern Motorway before crashing into an innocent motorist.

Footage of the crash shows the blue stolen car enter the Southern Motorway via an off-ramp - and hurtling the wrong way towards oncoming traffic.

The car managed to swerve past several vehicles but then slams on the brakes just before colliding with an innocent motorist's vehicle.

A truck driver who was getting off at the Highbrook Drive off-ramp told the Herald he got a shock when he saw a blue car heading towards him.

"The idiot was going down the wrong way of the motorway. He just came flying past on the slow lane - but the wrong way. It was looking like he was trying to find a way to get off.

"I thought: 'Oh here we go'."

The truckie said he looked in his mirror just in time to see the crash.

"It just exploded - there was this massive explosion when he hit the other car head-on. It wasn't good to see."

A serious crash is blocking four lanes heading south on State Highway One near Highbrook Drive. Photo / Will Trafford

The driver of the blue vehicle had been sitting low in the seat and did not appear to be wearing a seat belt.

He was going so fast the truck driver said he had no time to react - whether it be to beep the horn or call out to him.

The truck driver said he saw all kinds of driving incidents and bad behaviour on the road "all day, every day'' but that even an hour after the crash, he was still thinking about it.

"I'm still shaking. I need a beer.''

Four injured in crash that closed motorway

Police say they were not pursuing the car at the time of the crash.

Another witness said a vehicle that caused the crash was travelling in the wrong direction towards southbound traffic.

The aftermath of the crash. Photo / Debbie Bayes

Two people involved in the crash have been taken to hospital with moderate injuries. Two other people received minor injuries.

One person has been taken to nearby Middlemore Hospital while the other has been taken to Auckland City Hospital for treatment, St John said.

Both people suffered moderate injuries in the collision.

The second car in the crash. Photo / Debbie Bayes

The crash has closed the motorway southbound at Princes St. All southbound traffic is now being diverted.

Images from traffic camera show multiple vehicles involved in the crash, including one that appears to be facing the wrong way on the motorway.

Video footage taken from someone travelling on a northbound lane shows at least two cars badly damaged - one with smoke billowing out of it.

A number of people can be seen standing and around their respective vehicles, as a police officer looks at the damage.

All southbound traffic is now being diverted. Photo / NZTA

SH1 SOUTHERN MWY - DELAYS - 10:45AM UPDATE #SH1 remains CLOSED southbound at the Princes St off-ramp due to a crash. Detour here: https://t.co/SwPQW3XO41. Northbound traffic should be prepared for delays from Manukau through to Princes St due to rubbernecking. ^MF pic.twitter.com/wldfDULP7i

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) July 24, 2019