One dead and another critically injured after car ploughs into restaurant as police launch manhunt for driver

One person has been killed and another has been rushed to after a car crashed into the front of a restaurant.

The fatal collision happened just after 1am last night after two vehicles were involved in a serious collision. Police rushed to the scene to find one of the vehicles had collided with the front of a and the driver had fled the scene on foot.

Emergency services rushed to the scene on Dominion Road, near Wiremu Street in Balmoral, Upon arrival they found one person deceased and a passenger in one of the cars critically injured. Officers from New Zealand Police are investigating and have issued a public appeal in a bid to find the driver who fled the scene of the collision.

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In a statement released on on May 2 acting Detective Senior Sergeant Rebecca Kirk said: "The crash has resulted in one vehicle colliding with the storefront of a restaurant, and the other vehicle coming to a stop a short distance away. Immediately after the crash, the driver of the vehicle which crashed into the shop fled on foot from the scene."

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Kirk says the driver of the other vehicle was located deceased at the scene, with the passenger in a critical condition. The passenger remains in Auckland City Hospital in a serious condition.

Sergeant Kirk said: “Our enquiries are ongoing to identify and locate the driver of the vehicle who fled. I encourage that driver to do the right thing and contact Police or bring himself into the nearest Police station.”

Police staff arrived on scene a short time later and carried out enquiries before launching a manhunt for the missing driver. It is unclear if the driver was injuried in the impact. The extent of damage caused to the restaurant is not yet known. According to police no other casualties have been reported.

Police confirmed a section of Dominion Road was closed overnight while the Serious Crash Unit examined the scene. Anyone with information that can assist Police enquiries are asked to contact Police on 105 using the file number 250502/0011. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Balmoral is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand that is bordered by Mount Eden, Epsom, Mount Roskill and Sandringham and is located approximately 5 km from the centre of Auckland. The Auckland suburb is named after Balmoral Castle in . The historic property, "Balmoral," was built by Donald Borrie and is a heritage site, but is now privately owned by III.