Thief snatched woman's Louis Vuitton bag then ran her over

Rebecca Kennett with her boyfriend Gordon Dear. Picture / Kellie Bizard

Police are hunting for the man who snatched a woman's Louis Vuitton bag and then ran her over in his car.

Rebecca Kennett was sitting at a bus stop on East Tamaki Rd, Papatoetoe on Thursday when a man walked past and snatched her handbag. She chased him to a waiting car and stood in front of the car asking for her bag.

Instead of handing back her property - the man drove forward, running over her foot. The 20-year-old Mt Roskill woman had no feeling in her left foot and could not put any weight on it so was rushed to hospital in an ambulance. Despite being given a six week recovery time, she was lucky to escape serious injury.

Counties Manukau Police Acting Area Commander Dave Glossop said the crime was being taken very seriously and was being investigated by the CIB.

"Luckily it didn't end up that bad but the potential was quite horrific and we have had homicides in the past from a bag snatch that's gone horribly wrong," he said. "Anyone who is going to run somebody over for the sake of a handbag is someone we want to take off the street."

Ms Kennett, a customer care worker at an insurance company, said she had to take more than a week off work and was having trouble sleeping.

She said she was in Papatoetoe for an orthodontist appointment and was waiting in the bus shelter, texting her boyfriend when the man pounced.

"He looked like a regular pedestrian but as he walked past and as he got in front of me he stopped for a split second, turned and grabbed my bag and ran off."

Ms Kennett chased him on to Great South Rd to an industrial area where his car was running and a women was reclining in the passenger seat.

"I was standing in front of it and demanded he give my bag back ... he just drove right over my left foot. He just ran me down and I fell to the ground."

Mr Glossop said police had heard from witnesses and were making progress identifying the man, who was driving a maroon Rav 4.