A teenage girl said she didn't think she'd survive after a terrifying ordeal which saw her chased through the streets by men in clown masks.
The New Zealander, who lives in Perth, ran 2.5 kilometres on Saturday night to escape three masked men after getting off a bus.
Rastana Baker, originally from Otaki on the Kapiti Coast, told 7 News when a car stopped behind her, "I knew something's not right".
"One of them actually tried to put their hand around me, but when they did I freaked out and moved and started running".
"He tried gripping me, and that's when I knew I had to leave".
The incident comes on the heels of the global 'clown craze', thought to have coincided with the release of the film version of Stephen King's horror 'It', which features notorious clown Pennywise.
Throughout the ordeal, the 16-year-old stayed on the phone with members from her netball team she had been on her way to meet while she ran for safety.
She said due to it being so dark and the road so long she "felt as though I was running forever".
Close by in another suburb, an 18-year-old was also chased by a clown wielding a hammer.
Shanae Wheelson said she thought she was going to die.
"He said some words to me - 'say goodnight' or something like that, and chased after me".
Responding to increased reports of people partaking in the 'clown craze' , police have warned it could be a crime.
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The phenomenon involves people dressing up as creepy clowns and terrorising citizens, sometimes with weapons.
On Sunday, a Facebook group called Cop Humour Australia posted a photo of police officers in masks of their own, warning that there would be hundreds of 'clown hunting' police out on the street.
Newshub.
Almost exactly a year ago, Newshub reported on a 'scary clown' epidemic sweeping the United States, which saw reports of a similar phenomenon in parts of New Zealand.
Newshub.
