WATCH: A man tried to break into a Tesla car with a father and 4-year-old daughter inside in Oakland after a terrifying incident

The Tesla owner said the incident was “very serious.”

“It’s a little funny that this guy wouldn’t pass an IQ test on how to open a door. But on the other hand, it’s a pretty serious matter because there is a threat … and it’s starting to happen in Auckland.”

The driver, who did not want to be named, said the accident actually happened several kilometers earlier when the man began to follow his car “basically driving like an idiot.”

The driver said the man was driving a Nissan SUV and was less than two meters away from the Tesla car, and he did not receive any provocation.

“I was in a marked car with my children and I would not drive in a way that endangered us or caused a nuisance to the public.”

The driver sped away but eventually had to stop at a red light, at which point the man caught up with him.

“There were two cars in front of me at the red light and he came out of his car wearing a balaclava and started trying to smash the car with his fists.

“He tried Smashing doors, panels and glass….

The driver said he didn’t know if the man was trying to steal the car or attack him.

“I think the main purpose is to intimidate.”

The driver said he felt more frustrated than scared because his daughter was in the car so he couldn’t “make a move to push him out of the way.”

The driver said modern vehicles like his automatically lock when in motion, so the man was unable to smash the window and get inside.

But he did cause about $500 in damage to one panel.

“It’s annoying because it’s over my insurance excess. So I have to find a way to make him pay for it.”

Luckily, his daughter fell asleep and the disaster ended when the light turned green and the driver called 111.

“The cars in front of me were moving away and I just drove away from there… You can see from the footage that he clearly gave up and probably went back to his car.

“But I’ll be gone by then.”

The driver later police He said he has personally reached out to Henderson but has yet to receive a response.

A police spokesman said they were aware of the incident.

“(Police) are in the early stages of their investigation at this point,” he said.

Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has worked in journalism for more than 20 years, specialising in general news and features.