A 56-year-old Christchurch man who stopped to help people he thought had been injured in a crash was repeatedly punched in the head and kicked before his car was stolen.

As reported by chrislynchmedia.com, the man was driving home from his job with Customs at Christchurch Airport about 2.15am on Monday 7 September when he came across a badly damaged vehicle near the western roundabout on Queen Elizabeth II Drive by the Northern Motorway.

Police previously confirmed the vehicle had been used in a ram raid at Thirsty Liquor on Papanui Road shortly beforehand.

Unaware of the burglary, the man approached to check whether anyone needed medical help.

“Concerned that someone may have been injured and in need of assistance, I stopped and approached the vehicle,” he told chrislynchmedia.com.

He described the three males at the scene as being in their late teens or early twenties.

He said the person who assaulted him was a stocky Māori man. He described the other two as New Zealand European, one tall and the other short.

The stocky man walked casually towards him as he approached the damaged vehicle.

“I asked if everyone was ok and if an ambulance was needed.”

He said what began as two people casually approaching each other became a violent assault in an instant. As soon as the man was close enough, he began swearing at him, repeatedly punching his head and forcefully kicking his legs.

During the assault, a second person got into his car.

“I ran over to try and get him out but he’d locked the door.”

He said the driver then collected the other two near the roundabout before fleeing towards Cranford Street.

“Thankfully no weapons were presented, and they didn’t get me to the ground.”

The man now believes the scene was staged to draw someone in, although that has not been confirmed by police.

After his car was taken, he called 111. An officer arrived quickly, checked on him and passed his vehicle details to police communications. Two more officers arrived and offered to call an ambulance.

He declined, saying he was sore and shaking.

While officers dealt with the scene, he watched them recover bottles of alcohol from the damaged vehicle and from the other side of a barrier near the motorway off ramp.

He had noticed two of the three people near that barrier as he drove past and initially thought they might have been helping an injured occupant.

Officers later drove him home, taking his account of what had happened and photographs of his injuries.

“All of the officers were great to deal with. I just wish we had more of them!”

Once home, he woke his wife to explain why his car would not be outside when she got up.

“She was absolutely horrified to say the least.”

His car was found later that day in Rookwood Avenue. It was undamaged and most of his belongings were still inside, but the garage door remote and dashcam had been taken.

Concerned about the security of their home, he arranged for the garage door system to be reset and new remotes programmed. He also checked his car for trackers.

A doctor assessed him the following day. He said he had a haematoma on his leg, bruising, a stiff neck and continued shaking.

Several days of icing and heat packs helped reduce the swelling. Most of the bruising has since faded, although the haematoma remains.

For the first week, he also experienced severe night sweats.

Victim Support covered the cost of his doctor’s appointment and the work to secure the garage door. He has attended two counselling sessions, with more planned to help him manage his heightened vigilance.

His employer has also supported him. When he tried returning to work, his boss sent him home and gave him further time off.

“I drive with my doors locked now,” he said.

“As I’m saying this the shakes have returned so I guess there’s still a way to go. I’m just thankful to have a really supportive wife, who’s been amazing.”

The experience has changed how he would respond to another apparent roadside emergency. For now, he would call 111 rather than stop.

“Maybe that’ll change in time but, if I do stop in future, I’ll be assessing the scene a lot more carefully before I even think about getting out of my car.”

Police enquiries are ongoing.