Car from Cambridge incident located while Police appeal for witnesses

Police investigating an incident in Cambridge where a liquor-store manager suffered serious injuries while pursuing offenders believed to have stolen bottles of alcohol from the store are appealing for witnesses.

Field Crime Supervisor, Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Whitehead, of the Waikato CIB said the 59-year-old victim remained in a serious condition in Waikato Hospital following the incident on Victoria St about 4pm on Tuesday.

"Initial indications on what occurred are that the victim was knocked to the ground as he tried to stop the people he was chasing from driving off in a vehicle.

"Their vehicle appears to have been positioned for a quick get away, as it had been reversed into an angle car park a short distance from the liquor store."

Mr Whitehead said the victim became trapped under the car of a passing motorist who had come to his assistance by trying to stop the fleeing vehicle from leaving.

"There appears to have been contact between the two vehicles and detectives and Serious Crash Unit investigators are trying to piece together the sequence of events to establish exactly how the man ended up under the car.

"A silver Mitsubishi sedan, believe to the offenders' get-away car, was found at a Hamilton address yesterday afternoon. Three men believed to have been using the vehicle at the time of the incident were not at the address and are yet to be located."

Detectives are also investigating the possibility that the car's occupants where involved in other dishonesty offending both prior to and after the incident in Cambridge.

Anyone witnesses or anyone with information on Tuesday afternoon's incident is asked to contact Cambridge Police on 07 827 5531.

Alternatively information can be left anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.