A Bay of Plenty mother says she was pursued for five kilometres and repeatedly rammed by another driver in a Christmas Day road rage incident, leaving her vehicle undriveable and her children terrified.
Road Rage Attack on Christmas Day
The incident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. on the road between Te Puke and State Highway 2, as Rachel, who asked to be identified only by her first name, was driving with her two sons to a family Christmas lunch.
The ordeal began at a roundabout on Jocelyn St in Te Puke, where the driver of a silver minivan allegedly drove up beside Rachel’s vehicle instead of using the correct turning lane, nearly causing a collision. “Out of fright, I had to swerve to avoid being hit, and I tooted,” Rachel told 1News. “I didn’t lay on the horn like some people do, but I did toot.”
According to Rachel, the other driver then pursued her after she turned down a side street, waiting at the intersection with King St before accelerating closely behind her car. “He gets right up my ass, so close that I couldn’t see anything but his windscreen,” she said. “And then he nudged my car, like you know what you see in the movies and stuff, with people nudging cars from behind.”
Rachel’s older son attempted to take photos while her youngest called 111 as the incident continued through Waitangi and onto the open road. Photos show the other vehicle following closely behind Rachel’s car.
“He was ramming me constantly from behind, and I’m just trying to keep control of the car,” Rachel said. “I did actually fear that he was going to ram us right off the road and we’re going to roll.”
The attack culminated as Rachel slowed to turn into the driveway of her destination. The driver allegedly swerved toward the centre line and aimed directly at her door. “I just, instinctively, I put my foot down, and so, he actually hit the back corner of my car, right where my son was sitting,” Rachel stated. She added that both of her sons saw the other driver’s wheels lift off the ground as the vehicle ricocheted off hers before speeding away.
Rachel’s car sustained significant rear damage, including a smashed tail light, ripped bumper, and a tyre torn off its rim. Rachel and her children were shaken but sustained only minor physical injuries.
“He could clearly see into the back of my car that I had two children in the car,” Rachel said.
Police confirmed they responded to a two-vehicle crash on Te Puke Highway, Paengaroa, at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Christmas Day. “There do not appear to have been any serious injuries. Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing,” a police spokesperson told 1News. Police are urging anyone with relevant information to contact them on 105.
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