Rotorua paint shop damaged after car crash, police investigating

Police were informed of the incident just before midnight. Photo / Supplied

Police investigations are under way after a car crashed into a Rotorua building last night, causing "extensive" damage.

The building was Renovators Painters and Decorators on Old Taupō Rd.

Police received reports that a car had crashed into commercial premises on Old Taupō Rd/Clayton Rd just before midnight, a police spokesperson said.

"The building has been quite badly damaged and the car left the scene before police arrived.

"Police are making inquiries into the incident but no one has been located at this time."

Renovators Painters and Decorators owner Claudio Valenzuela said the police went to his house just before 1am today to tell him about the incident.

"We secured [the building] last night just so nobody breaks in ... and then this morning we did a good, massive clean-up."

Valenzuela said the damage was "very bad" and he was in the process with his insurance company to get it repaired.

But he thought there would be "a big delay" with fixing the building due to the impact of Covid, such as getting materials.

The company would continue to operate as normal when it opened on Monday, he said.

"It could have been worse. Normally I put a lot of paint in there ... but on Friday I decided to put it somewhere else. It would've been a huge disaster because I've got everyone ready to go to jobs."

Police were informed of the incident just before midnight last night. Photo / Supplied

Renovators Painters and Decorators office manager Trudy Murray said her boss was notified by police this morning after a car "smashed into the building".

She said the car had "taken out the whole front of the side office".

"It was a meeting office so there [were] just tables and chairs in there - nothing major.

"We had to get there before 8 o'clock this morning so we could go and clear out in front of Oil Changers so that they could start work because the debris was spread quite a way.

"The boss and his family and a couple of our workers had to go and pick up all the bricks and damage - it's quite extensive."

Police were informed of the incident just before midnight last night. Photo / Supplied

Oil Changers Rotorua manager Alex Korodi said most of the debris had been cleaned up when he got to work this morning and there was "just little bits of wood and glass" on their driveway which they swept up.