A man is in hospital with serious leg injuries after he climbed over a bridge during a police chase and fell 10m onto the motorway below.

The man was apparently in a fight near Karangahape Rd in inner city Auckland about 10.30pm last night but when police arrived he and the other person fighting took off in different directions.

The hurt man climbed over a bridge to get away from the police chasing him on foot and fell onto the southern motorway.

He is understood to have serious leg injuries, possibly broken bones in both legs.

NZPA