Confusion and chaos when a man allegedly drove a steamroller into vehicles at a boy racer gathering has been compared to a terrorist attack by a witness.
A steamroller ploughed into cars at a gathering of up to 100 car enthusiasts in an industrial area of Upper Hutt early on Saturday morning.
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Police say the incident could have ended in tragedy and have made a plea for the public not to take matters into their own hands.
It began as confusion and then became chaos as people ran for safety.
One man who says he was at the incident, Daniel, says there was a lot of screaming.
"He was hitting cars and cars would hit into people," Daniel told Newshub.
"It was like a terror attack you know, people screaming."
One person went to hospital and witnesses report others were injured. Five vehicles were damaged and were taken from the site by police on Saturday.
Shredded pieces of tyre remain strewn across the culture de sac and there are dark skid marks everywhere.
Car enthusiasts told Newshub it looks like that because so many were trying to escape.
But a contractor said it's been left looking like this most weekends.
The steamroller came from a construction site which sits next to where the incident took place.
"We come to industrial areas where no one is around," Daniel said.
Car enthusiasts have been gathering at the site for most weekends over at least the past few months.
Another man said he was there too and admits some were doing burnouts.
"There were people doing that but it doesn't justify what was done about that," he told Newshub.
Skid marks show a car smashed into a pole. There was also broken glass and ripped up grass at the scene.
Several witnesses told Newshub more than one person was responsible. They claimed the street was blocked off by two vehicles before the steamroller headed into the cars.
"Old people don't like loud cars, you know you get that, but I haven't heard of anything that would've lead up to this," Daniel said.
A 47-year-old man was granted bail after he appeared in the Hutt Valley District Court charged with interfering with a motor vehicle with reckless disregard and drink driving.
Police said it was a serious incident which could have ended in tragedy.
They warned anyone with concerns to call them, rather than taking action, and are committed to working with the community on illegal street racing.
Police say further charges are likely.
Newshub.
