A woman was left with a bloody mouth after a man allegedly punched her in the face during a violent encounter on an east Auckland road.
The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, says she was driving back to work along Granger Road in Cockle Bay at about 2.20pm on January 21 when the van in front of her came to a stop.
The 22-year-old beeped her vehicle’s horn at the van driver as she was in a hurry and felt he had plenty of space to pass between other vehicles.
“We both drove on as normal when he turned his right indicator on to turn down Eveyln Road,” she says.
“As I veered to the left to use that lane to pass, he jerked his van towards my car pushing me to the curb.
“In a sudden moment I turned my car around and parked in front of him to ask what his problem was and why he was recklessly pulling in front of me.”
She says the van’s driver asked her why she’d beeped her vehicle’s horn at him. She replied that there was plenty of space for him to go to.
When she bent down to take a photo of his vehicle’s licence plate the situation got worse.
“As I tried to return, he started recording me and came towards me, so I smacked his phone out of the way and tried walking away when he punched me straight in the face.
“In shock, all that could come out my mouth was blood and the words ‘did you really just punch me?’
“He looked at me and said, ‘Oh did I punch you? I don’t think I did’.
“I had taken a photo of him as he said the words and gesturing his shoulders as if he didn’t just split my lips open and clock my jaw.
“He went to climb in his car, and I did the same, trying to rush away from this person and accidentally recorded myself trying to drive away.”
The woman phoned her mother and went back to work as she knew there was a first-aid kit there and she didn’t want to let her colleagues down by not showing up after lunch.
She says her team leader calmed her down and convinced her to go home. She reported the incident to police that night.
A police spokesperson told the Times police are in the very early stages of making enquiries following a report of an assault in Evelyn Road, Cockle Bay, on January 21.
“We can confirm we have received a report regarding this incident and enquiries are under way to establish the exact circumstances surrounding it.
“Police ask anyone with information to help our enquiries to update us online now or call 105. Please use the reference number 250122/5088.
“Information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
