A man is dead after a car doing burnouts fled police and crashed into a group of shops on a residential South Auckland street.
St John Ambulance said a person was killed and a second person badly injured in the smash that happened about 3am on the corner of Mangere and Walmsley Rds in Otahuhu.
Police said a Honda was seen doing a burnout on Mangere Rd last night but it sped off.
Police followed the vehicle for a short distance but lost sight of it before Gray Ave, near Middlemore Hospital.
The wrecked Honda was found a little further down the same road crashed into a building at the intersection of Mangere and Walmsley Rds.
Police said the passenger died at the scene as a result of his injuries.
Both people were taken to Middlemore Hospital. The driver was seriously injured.
The Serious Crash Unit is investigating and the crash will be reported to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).
Diversions were now in place and motorists were advised to avoid the area around Walmsley and Mangere/Massey Rds intersection.
A white car can be seen outside a group of shops. It looks to have slammed head-on into the buildings, one of which looks to be a laundromat. It appears the car was driving along Mangere Rd and crossed a traffic island before hitting the shops. Several people are this morning being escorted through the cordon to their homes, including two men returning home after working a night shift.
The intersection is expected to remain closed until lunchtime.
