Multiple arrests after smashed car crashes onto Auckland train station

Multiple arrests after smashed car crashes onto Auckland train station
Photo credit: Jae Beom Hong

Multiple arrests have been made following a police chase which led to a car crashing into an Auckland train station.

Earlier on Wednesday, police spotted a vehicle in Panmure that had previously been reported as stolen. This car was then monitored by patrol units and a police helicopter before it fled.

Police say it continued to be monitored by the helicopter as it drove "dangerously" across east Auckland where the driver was seen "swerving lanes and driving into oncoming traffic".

At one point during the chase, it collided with another vehicle. The occupants of that car were not injured.

Following this, the vehicle was driven on to a Middlemore train station. Police tried to arrest four occupants of the vehicle and a taser was used while they tried to apprehend the driver.

The man then had a "medical event" and first aid was given. He has since been transported to hospital in a serious condition.

Three other occupants of the car have been arrested and a scene examination is underway.

Photos earlier sent to Newshub show several cops at a train station surrounding a man lying on the ground. A smashed white car draped in police tape is also on the train platform. A video posted to Facebook shows an officer on the train tracks. At least five police cars can be seen at the scene.

A witness also described the car chase to Newshub.

"[It was] proceeding to try and run from police. The car had been rammed, crashed into, it had run over spikes. The back right-hand wheel was completely gone. It was running on the rim," the man told Newshub.

The witness said the van was being chased by between six and ten police cars as well as a police helicopter.

One person tweeted that a car had become stuck on the train tracks.

"How does one get their car stuck on the train tracks between Middlemore and Papatoetoe," the person said.

Another said that the car smashed into the train station while "running away from the cops".

A service updates message from Transdev at 12:07pm said, due to an incident, trains across the Eastern and Southern train lines are "delayed or cancelled due to an emergency services incident at Middlemore".

The message said normal services will resumed at 2pm and scheduled buses are accepting all train tickets and AT Hop cards.

An update from Auckland Transport said Southern lines were running to a "20 timetable and will use platform 2 at Middlemore for travel towards Britomart and Papakura".

"Eastern line services are terminating at Otahuhu. Bus replacement will operate between Otahuhu and Manukau."

Newshub.