A fleeing driver crashed into a property in Napier early this morning, showering the sleeping occupants with shards of glass and leaving the garden in ruins.
Police said they encountered a car "being driven dangerously" about 12.25 in Onekawa, and tried to pull it over but they wouldn't stop.
The chase continued through Napier for about an hour, with numerous locals saying they could hear the car travelling at high speed.
About 1.15am, the car crashed and rolled near the intersection of Kennedy Road and Riverbend Road, smashing through a fence and garden and scattering debris over a large area.
Lee Oosthuizen, who was asleep inside the property with husband Toby, said they were showered with large shards of glass from the windows of their bedroom.
"Really nasty pieces of glass - shards all over ... there's glass just everywhere," Ms Oosthuizen said.
"We are very, very fortunate to be here this morning."
When they went outside, they saw incredible damage to their property and the car itself.
"About 40 per cent of my fence is gone, my garden is gone - I had a beautiful garden, it's gone," she said.
"It's really bad .. it is crazy."
Ms Oosthuizen said she was told by emergency services at the scene that a spike strip had been deployed, which the driver was trying to avoid.
"That's when he went through the fence into my neighbour's yard - the car was airborne and it actually fell in the road," she said.
She said police were at the scene immediately and pulled three people out of the car, including the driver who looked to be "in a bit of pain," she said.
"They were saying 'you stole a car' ... there were two other people in the car as well - a girl and another guy."
Police confirmed three people were taken to hospital in ambulances - two seriously injured and the other moderately injured.
Photos from the scene show the car, which looks to be a black turbocharged Subaru Legacy, sustained heavy damage in the crash.
Ms Oosthuizen said they have insurance and are now in the process of getting the damage repaired, but they will need to pay the excess themselves.
The couple's daughter Jess Oosthuizen praised the actions of police and the emergency service teams who responded.
"I'm just still in shock how close my parents were to getting seriously injured or worse," she said.
"Even though we were the victims of a high speed chase, I still don’t mind the police doing pursuits ... it's the perpetrator, not the police who should stop.
"We can't change the rules for these idiots ... I’m very proud of our police and very grateful for the help and assistance they gave my family and I."
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