The chance sighting of a stolen car on the back of a truck in Mosgiel has led to claims of a rural demolition derby.
Isaac Tripp, of Dunedin, was left with little hope of seeing his car again after it vanished from a carpark almost two weeks ago.
On July 24, Mr Tripp parked his Holden Astra in the Bullring carpark in Whare Flat Rd, North Taieri, but locked his keys inside.
"We went for a drive to see if it had been dumped anywhere, but we had no luck. I reported it to police but, with no leads, it fizzled out."
Mr Tripp had written off finding his car until his flatmate, who was walking past Rohan Haulage in Mosgiel, spotted his car sitting on a transport truck in the car yard last Friday.
"We got really lucky because Rohan Haulage told us the car was actually scheduled to be driven up to Christchurch and be crushed earlier in the week, but they were just too busy."
All five cars were extensively damaged, and Mr Tripp said it looked like they had been used for paddock races and to play "bumper cars" with.
His number plates were gone, the tyres were flat and off angle, glass was everywhere and there were holes smashed in the roof.
"It looks like the car was rammed from the left, the wing mirrors were gone, but they left the warrant of fitness stickers — not that it would pass one now."
The car was sold, along with the four others in the paddock, to Cash 4 Cars Dunedin.
When they were bought, the cars were not listed as stolen on the carjam.co.nz website.
The seller, a teenager who lives in the area, pocketed $1500 in cash for the haul of cars.
She said she did not believe the other four cars taken from the paddock were stolen.
Police would not confirm whether any of the other four cars — a Mazda Capella, a Ford Mondeo, a Toyota Corolla and a Corolla wagon — were also stolen.
