A boy racer who was part of a notorious accident in Auckland last week, after his car was clipped by a truck, has said enough is enough and the online vigilantism needs to stop.
Video filmed last Friday appears to show a mob of boy racers viciously attacking the truck's driver, Jordan Martin, after he clipped one of their cars in Penrose.
Now Brian Garcia, whose car was hit, has come face-to-face with Mr Martin since the incident - and says they had squared everything up at the end of the night, before any of the footage came to light.
"At the end of the night... we've come to an agreement, an apology, of what has happened, sorted everything out, basically shook hands at the end of the night... sorted everything out correctly," he told RadioLIVE on Thursday afternoon.
"And people on social media have taken everything to the next level."
Mr Garcia said he wants everything to be "sorted down" and the threats to stop. He's lost his job and his entire flat has been told to leave as a result of the abusive threats.
He said people had been telling him they're going to his house with "guns, gang members... they're looking for you".
On RadioLIVE, Mr Martin also condemned the vigilantism, saying it's become "ridiculous".
"I think it's great that the trucking community sticks up for everyone but... there's no need for death threats, no need for people to lose their jobs or anything," he said.
"People don't even know the full story, that's why these fellas are getting threats and all of that."
He said others, including Mr Garcia, had stayed behind to help him after the alleged beating.
"I think death threats are just so uncalled for... There's no need for it, it's just taking it way too far," he said.
Mr Garcia admitted he broke Mr Martin's door in his anger, but wasn't one of those who hurt him.
"I take full responsibility for breaking the door... I take full account of that," he said.
"I did climb up in the cab and start yelling at [Mr Martin], but I did not lay a single finger on him, because obviously assault is a bad thing. I wouldn't like it if someone did that to me.
"Someone can yell at me and scream at me for doing something I've done wrong, but [it's gone too far]."
People need to remember that videos don't capture the whole story, Mr Garcia said.
"Things have been solved, things have been sorted, people are making up their own stories now. And look what happens when people make up new stories - it's pretty bad."
Newshub.
