Shocking social media videos from a "skid meet-up" in New Plymouth show a person riding the bonnet of a police car and people doing multiple burnouts.
Police say they are "extremely frustrated and concerned" at the event, which was held on Saturday night, and even spoke to event organisers beforehand advising them against holding the meet up since it could breach alert level 2 restrictions.
Hundreds of people ended up attending, acting Taranaki area commander Inspector Darin Haenga says, and around 100 cars were in the Connett Road and De Havilland Drive area just before 10pm.
The event then descended into chaos after a woman was crushed between two cars, while another attendee smashed the windscreen of a police car and others threw bottles at it. The woman was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital, where she remains in a stable condition, and an 18-year-old man has been charged with sustained loss of traction in relation to this incident.
One TikTok video shows a person sitting on the bonnet of a police car while its sirens are blaring as it drives through the crowd. Onlookers are heard cheering the person on, and one says: "This is wicked."
Other videos show several cars doing burnouts and skids as hordes of people watch on.
Later on Saturday night, one car that wasn't involved in the event skidded on diesel that attendees had poured on the road and collided with a parked car on Centennial Drive. Insp Haenga says the driver wasn't injured, however, the patrol car of a police officer responding to the crash was surrounded by event attendees. A man jumped onto the bonnet and smashed the windscreen, and others threw bottles and cans at the patrol car, smashing the rear window. It's unknown if this incident is the one that was posted to TikTok.
"Police are aware there will have been participants in this 'car event' who are as horrified as we are at the appalling behaviour displayed by those involved in these incidents and other unsafe driving behaviour during the night," Insp Haenga says.
"We would ask them to do the right thing and get in touch with us to provide any information, including video footage, which may help us identify those responsible.
"We would also like to hear from any members of the public who were not involved but may have witnessed something which may assist our enquiries."
