Hamilton Pizza Delivery Driver Struck After Robbery, Police Looking For Info On ‘Cowardly’ Attack

Hamilton police are looking for information on a suspect in the "cowardly" attack of a pizza delivery driver. A 30-year-old Pizza Hut delivery guy was attacked while delivering an order outside a vacant Melville house on Sunday night.

The unnamed victim has suffered serious facial injuries after he was hit with a metal bar on the head, which had forced him to drop on the ground. He tried to crawl away and escape from his attacker, but he was again struck with the metal bar. The assailant then stole what he had ordered.

"Arriving to find no one around, the victim heard a call towards the back of the property which he went to check when he has been struck to the head with a metal bar... which has dropped him to the group," Waikato Field Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Karl Thornton said.

The victim, fortunately, was able to escape to his car and drive back to his workplace.

It's not known if the attack was planned or was just opportunistic for the suspect. Police have yet to formally interview the victim.

Pizza Hut General Manager Surbi Bahl said that the company was shocked by the attack on their employee.

"Pizza Hut has health and safety policies in place to keep drivers safe on the job and all our delivery drivers receive training on what to do in situations if they feel their safety is at risk," he was quoted by tvnz.co.nz as saying.

"We are thankful that our delivery driver was able to escape this cowardly attack. We understand our driver did everything right in this instance," he continued, adding that incidents as such were "extremely rare."

Meanwhile, Rita Croskery, mother to another Pizza Hut worker, Michael Choy, who was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat in 2001, said that the new attack "brought back some horrible memories."

"I felt sorry for the guy and it's a wonder he wasn't killed," she told the New Zealand Herald.

Choy was delivering an order on Sept 12, 2001 when he was lured to a Papakura home and attacked with a baseball bat before he was robbed of his pizzas and cash. He died of the injuries he sustained the following night. His attackers, four males and two females aged 12 to 17, were charged with murder and aggravated robbery.