The chief executive, in his 30s, had been due to go to trial on charges of assaulting Steven Price with intent to injure, and dangerous driving.
But he avoided prosecution last week after a judge blasted police incompetence and dismissed the case because of repeated delays and disclosure failures.
Steven Price, 74, suffered contusions, muscle damage and concussion during an alleged road rage attack involving a Ponsonby CEO. Photo / Dean Purcell
Price’s family say the prosecution’s own goals have destroyed their faith in the justice system. Police have now referred their handling of the case to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
In a statement to the Herald, Police Minister Mark Mitchell said: “Complainants must be able to trust that their cases will be properly handled.”
He said it was appropriate the case had been referred to the IPCA.
The chief executive claimed Price had veered towards him and tried to push him off the road.
The defence team commissioned an expert report into the incident from Investigative Engineering Services.
The report’s author, Dr Timothy Stevenson, was asked by defence lawyer Guyon Foley to give an opinion on which driver was responsible for causing the motorway collision.
Stevenson reviewed witness statements, the police summary of facts, photographs of the damaged vehicles and inspected the sports car.
He concluded it was most likely that Price had caused the collision by “steering the Kia towards the right”, into the side of the chief executive’s sports car.
This collision most likely damaged the chief executive’s left-hand wing mirror, he found.
‘Driving like a maniac’
Included in the Investigative Engineering Services report is a police statement from a motorist who was travelling north on the motorway that day describing what he saw.
He said he noticed the luxury sports car following another car “extremely closely” in the outside lane, before it “undertook” the other vehicle.
“We could see from behind the [sports car] driver put his hand out the window gesticulating and swearing … at them before accelerating away at speed.
“I discussed with my wife … as they were driving extremely aggressively, dangerous and too fast.”
The witness then saw the sports car tailgating an SUV – believed to be Price’s vehicle.
The Ponsonby CEO escaped prosecution last week when a judge dismissed the case due police failings. Photo / NZME
He believed the sports car then undertook the SUV and began “brake-checking the other car”.
The witness’ view was briefly obscured by other traffic before he noticed the sports car “battling with the SUV”, “driving like a maniac” and “trying to undertake again”.
“The [sports car] at one point was on the gravel/hard shoulder and I noticed the wing mirror hanging off.”
It “moved up behind” the SUV and both vehicles exited the motorway at the Millwater offramp.
The witness followed the two vehicles because he was “worried” about the SUV “and it was obvious the [sports car] was following them”.
The witness eventually stopped at a petrol station and called police.
Steven Price can’t understand why police ever charged him in connection with an alleged road rage attack involving a Ponsonby chief executive and a $430,000 supercar. Photo / Dean Purcell
The two vehicles eventually pulled over on Highgate Parkway where police alleged the chief executive attacked the pensioner, striking him repeatedly about the head and pulling his jumper up over his face, Judge Anna Fitzgibbon told the court on Friday.
The older man fell over, and the chief executive continued to punch and kick Price as he lay on the ground, police allege.
‘Economical with the truth’
In a statement this week, the chief executive claimed the expert report offered “strong support as to Mr Price’s untruthful statements to police”.
He also claimed Price had been “economical with the truth as to his driving and the subsequent fracas”.
The chief executive had faced up to three years in prison if convicted on the charges, before the case against him was dismissed.
He’s had interim suppression since first appearing in court two years ago to protect his business interests, and will seek permanent suppression at a hearing later this year.
‘Has to be some kind of justice’
Price’s son Logan said his father had no criminal history and was an upstanding member of society who had always tried to do the right thing.
Price had suffered a raft of injuries that day and was still dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Logan said his father did not deserve what happened.
The younger man had dodged accountability due to police failures, Logan believed.
“We can point fingers forever. He knows within himself.”
North Shore pensioner Steven Price suffered injuries in an alleged road rage incident on the Northern Motorway in August 2024.
Meanwhile, chief victims adviser Ruth Money said the dismissal was a “tragic outcome” for Price’s family.
Failures like this could have a “chilling effect” in terms of trust and confidence in the police.
She hoped the matter would be thoroughly investigated by the IPCA.
“If there’s anything to learn or correct, a make-good for the family, that’s what I would be expecting.”
Money said Price’s family should seek an ex-gratia payment from police for the harm caused.
“They do need to ask police, ‘What are you going to do about this’, because it has cost Mr Price. This poor man. There has to be some kind of justice for him.”
Documents show pensioner Steven Price suffered multiple injuries in the roadside incident.
Lane Nichols is a senior journalist and Auckland desk editor for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry.