Melbourne:
An Indian-origin cabbie was stabbed by an unknown assailant and was found dead in his taxi that crashed in New Zealand's Auckland city on Sunday.
Hiren Mohini, 39, was driving a taxi that veered off the road and hit a tree around 1.30 a m (local time) following which people who rushed to the spot found him dead.
A post mortem report found a stab wound to his torso, the New Zealand Herald reported.
A homicide inquiry was launched following the death and the police are looking to interview a young male who was seen running towards Esplanade Road immediately after the crash, it said.
Investigators who spoke to a number of witnesses described the man they are looking for as a "slimly-built, dark-skinned male in his mid to late twenties with long, greasy hair to the back of his neck".
Police believe the man had hired Mohini's taxi 10 minutes before it crashed and they are assessing security surveillance footage for more information.
Auckland Co-operative Taxi Society chairman Ian Graham said the society was "deeply saddened by the tragic case of Mr Mohini this morning".
"The company is in shock and anger that a young family man, working hard to provide for his family has been taken in such a senseless act of violence," he said.
Graham said some of Mohini's fellow taxi drivers tried to rush to his aid after an internal emergency device inside the taxi was triggered on impact but arrived too late.