DOG HIT BY CAR FLEEING POLICE THROUGH STONEFIELDS, AUCKLAND AND THROWN 4M INTO AIR

A dog was flung nearly 4m into the air, landing on the side of the road, after being hit by a car fleeing police through the Auckland suburb of Stonefields yesterday.

Tayla Ranger told the Herald she initially believed something had fallen off a truck when she saw something in the air while driving to work along Ngahue Dr.

“But I saw the head start to flop and it started to roll and then I realised it was a brown pitbull.”

She said the dog flew at least 4m in the air, barrel-rolled about six or seven times after landing and was then lying on a grass verge.

Ranger and another car stopped and soon realised the vehicle that had hit the dog was being pursued when three police cars came flying by with their lights on.

“We tried to get the dog but it started running off and it was covered in blood,” she said.

“We flagged down a cop car that was a bit behind the others and the other couple started to cops, saying we needed to find the pitbull.”

However, the police responded they were too busy chasing the fleeing vehicle.

By then, Ranger and the other couple had lost sight of the dog.

“I went to work and got my mum to call animal control and they listed it as critical.”

Animal Management East acting team leader Michelle Bromley told the Herald Auckland Council received reports of a roaming dog at Ngahue Drive, Stonefields yesterday morning but was unable to locate the dog.

“We are saddened to hear reports that a dog was dragged behind a car.”

Police said they were looking for a car that had failed to stop. A spokesperson said they were now “following lines of enquiry to locate the driver”.

Ranger said she has been left traumatised by the event and keeps replaying the image in her head.

“I definitely won’t forget it.”

David Williams is an Auckland-based Multimedia Journalist who joined the Herald in 2023. He covers breaking news and general topics.

Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.

2024-06-29T06:55:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd