A video has captured a Bay of Plenty family's terrifying road-rage experience after they were targeted by a driver who repeatedly rammed their vehicle on a state highway.
The video was posted on social media by a person who said his uncle had been driving between Rotorua and Te Puke yesterday afternoon when a man in a white Mazda ute started ramming the back of their Suzuki Swift.
"Takes a lot for my uncle to become physically shaken but this incident certainly did just that."
The occupants of the vehicle were clearly distressed as the ute repeatedly hit them before overtaking - and narrowly avoiding being hit by an oncoming truck in the process.
"Unnecessary and uncalled for and to put four of our whānau at risk isn't what we need."
The ute hit their Swift about seven times and caused damage to the rear of the vehicle, all while in wet and rainy conditions.
The poster asked for any witnesses of the incident to call the Te Puke Police Station.
He had reposted from another family member: "I would like to say with extreme impact that four lives could have been lost yesterday if it were not for my brothers driving ability ... my brother has never feared for his life while driving in his 35+ years but he said when he felt the car snaking he knew they were in trouble if he didn't hold it on the road."
He said the man in the ute also had a woman and a young child with him.
He said it had tried to overtake them last minute and cut them off at the Okere Falls passing lane.
"Further along the drive a second attempt was made by the Mazda driver to cut my whānau off the road and of course hand signals and a few choice word exchanges pursued at this point and rightly so."
Police confirmed they received a report of traffic offending on Te Puke Highway/Number 1 Rd on Tuesday at 12.40pm.
Vehicle information website Carjam shows the number plate of the ute has been replaced. The effective date for the new plate is today.
