Two women are terrified after an attempted carjacking in Auckland, an incident that saw a man jump out at the victim's car before running after her down the street.
On Monday night, Vironique van Heerdon had just dropped off her friend Ana Tamatea on the Hibiscus Coast.
It was as she was driving home when a man jumped out at van Heerdon's car. Luckily, she managed to speed away and Tamatea called the police.
The incident was the latest in what appeared to be a string of carjackings in Auckland.
Van Heerdon told AM she was driving relatively slowly due to poor weather when she saw the man on the side of the road.
"As soon as I got closer to him, he jumped at my car. He was really tall, lanky, wearing all black," she said.
"I had quick reflexes and I flat-footed it… I was so scared - I was shaking."
After speeding away, she called Tamatea to tell her what had happened.
"I called her and I was like, 'Look, this just happened to me - lock your doors,'" van Heerdon said. "I was quite panicky - so I calmed down, explained the situation again and she got scared so she called the cops and then they called me."
Police said an investigation was underway. A spokesperson confirmed to AM a report was received about a person "acting suspiciously" on Moreton Dr, Manly just before 10:20pm on Monday.
Other recent carjackings included a doctor having his car stolen at gunpoint in Auckland's Remuera last month, the NZ Herald reported, while a man was arrested on the North Shore in July after allegedly crashing into multiple cars, taking off on foot and stealing another vehicle.
The Automobile Association's insurance wing has said car thefts have increased 36.5 percent across New Zealand over the past year.
Van Heerdon, meanwhile, had a message for the public.
"Honestly, just be careful - especially at night," she said. "Lock your doors while driving, be aware of your surroundings."
