A Matariki family event run by Horowhenua District Council and Ngāti Whakatere in Shannon has been interrupted by a fleeing offender whose car came to a stop outside the event.
In a statement, police said they came across a stolen vehicle in Foxton at around 12.30pm and that it was not pursued.
Road spikes were put in place to stop the vehicle, but it avoided them and continued a short distance down Grey St in Shannon towards the Matariki event.
It collided with a number of parked vehicles before crashing into a stationery vehicle in the middle of the road.
"An officer suffered a head injury while attempting to apprehend the driver of the offending vehicle," police said.
"The driver is now in police custody, and the police officer is receiving medical attention."
Event attendee Hoani Fuimaono said people had been lining up to get their hāngīs, when he heard the offending driver screech around the corner and saw it hit "three cars across the road, then hit the van".
He and other witnesses said a number of people approach the crashed vehicle to stop the offender until police had caught up.
"Shannon does it [when] you come rolling down the street, a whole lot of guys ran into the car just to stop him from going anywhere. I'm not sure what happened in the car, but it wouldn't have been good," he said.
"I'm glad [the driver] is also in one piece, it could've been worse... he could've come down by the hāngī line and would've taken a lot of us out."
One local who didn't want to be named told 1News Māori Wardens at the scene on Grey St helped keep children away from the incident, with a large number of people having just gathered outside to eat hāngī near where the car stopped.
"I was literally 15 metres from the event.
"I told my sister to 'take the kids and run'," the local said.
"It gave all the children such a fright to hear the loud crash."
She said she was sad to see children frightened by what had happened after what was such a friendly, uplifting atmosphere at the Matariki event.
In a Facebook post after the crash unfolded, Horowhenua District Council wrote that "Matariki celebrations in Shannon have been cancelled".
The council's chief executive Monique Davidson said she was "saddened by the impact one individual and their choices can have on a community who were coming together to celebrate what was meant to be a joyous and special Matariki event".
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