Police have released a CCTV photograph and video of a woman in connection with a shoplifting incident in Rotorua Central at the weekend that ended in a hit and run.
Rotorua police crime prevention manager Inspector Stuart Nightingale said anyone who recognised the woman should contact police.
The woman iswanted in relation to an incident on Saturday afternoon where a shoplifter ran from Bed Bath & Beyond with items she hadn't paid for and got into a waiting vehicle.
Two members of the public Ray Holmes and Kevin Page tried to stop the car and were hit, resulting in them suffering minor injuries.
The pair said their natural reactions were to stop the car but they never imagined they were putting their lives at risk.
Holmes said the shoplifter ran from Bed Bath & Beyond with an armload of goods about 1.25pm on Saturday, closely followed by a store worker who was yelling "stop that girl".
Page said they could see the store worker trying to prise open the door of the car to get the woman to stop.
But the man driving the car reversed out of the park, which was close to the Smith's City store entrance in the centre island, and went to drive away.
Two members of the public Ray Holmes and Kevin Page tried to stop the car and were hit, resulting in them suffering minor injuries.
Page and Holmes, who don't know each other, stood in front of it with their arms up signalling for it to stop.
"It was only about 2-3m away from us. It slowed down and then he just gunned it."
"I could see him [Holmes] out the corner of my eye. He was there and then he was gone and I thought, they've killed that guy. How he didn't get killed, I don't know.
"I was trying to get up but I couldn't feel my legs," Page said.
Holmes said when they came towards him he just jumped as high as he could.
"He was going to take my legs out and it was lucky I got a finger grip on the bonnet."
Page added: "Within the space of 60 seconds, you saw the best and the worst of Rotorua. From the shoplifter and driver trying to run us over to quickly there being an ambulance, police and members of the public trying to help."
Anyone with information was asked to call 0800 CRIMESTOPPERS.
