A Papamoa resident who went outside to find out what the commotion was "scrambled back inside" when a car came smashing into a deck she had been standing on.

The woman, who would only be named as Hannah, said she was stunned to be faced with a car smashing through her Lyn Grove fence and then her deck.

Last night, police received multiple calls reporting a large group of people fighting about 8.45pm outside a house.

Police said witnesses had seen people using sticks, garden tools and bats as weapons and a woman was taken to hospital after being run over.

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Residents were picking up the pieces today after waking to broken glass and smashed fence palings strewn across their properties.

Hannah said she had been trying to work out what the commotion was when a car mowed through the fence and crashed into the deck she had just left.

The impact of the crash buckled the fence and shunted it half a metre from its supports, cracking the framing. This morning broken glass sat in a trail by the fence and just metres away children could be seen out walking.

She said shocked by what had happened.

"It was total disbelief. That there was a car coming through the fence, you don't expect that at all, even with all the commotion," Hannah said.

"I just scrambled back inside, and it was gone. It was driving crazy. It took off down the road, going up the curb."

Laura O'Flaherty lived at the house and said she could hear cars "but it didn't sound like your normal burnouts".

"It sounded like people were wailing like they were in distress, so Hannah stood out there."

Other residents could be seen today hovering around their properties, surveying the damage.

At one home, an older woman stood with her grandsons, 8 and 11. She had been looking after them with their dad last night when the fight broke out.

Her daughter Pritpal said she was out when the commotion unfolded and panicked when she was unable to get home because of the huge police cordon at Hartford Ave.

"It was so scary for the kids. They are usually playing there at that time but it was a Sunday and there was school the next day so they were inside."

Pritpal said people had come up to their house, knocking on the door telling them to open up.

"We closed the windows and the curtains, yeah, they had baseball bats."

Within moments a car came smashing through their fence.

Another resident, who would not be named, said he was angry that Lyn Grove was getting a bad reputation.

Police are still investigating the incident and have called for people to contact them on 07 577 4300 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.