Skateboarder blasted after 'ridiculous speed' ridealong

Photo/supplied

Police have labelled the actions of a skateboarder being towed by a car at Mount Maunganui at a ''ridiculous speed'' was high risk behaviour ''at its worst''.

Tauranga police released the image of the skateboarder overnight after a concerned member of the public snapped it on Marine Parade at 7pm on Wednesday.

Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter said the photographer sent the photo in to police, who followed up with the registered owner of the car ''who in fact turned out to be the skateboarder and as you can see he was not wearing a helmet''.

I asked him what would have happened if a car or even a child ran out in front of him, how was he going to avoid coming off and possibly hitting his head which at that speed would most likely have been fatal and he did not have an answer to that.

Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter

They travelled almost the entire length of Marine Parade like this. The driver said he was travelling at 40 km/h which is a ridiculous speed, Mr Hunter said.

''The skateboarder could not see what the problem was as he told me he was a very experienced skateboarder and he would not have come off,'' Mr Hunter said.

''I asked him what would have happened if a car or even a child ran out in front of him, how was he going to avoid coming off and possibly hitting his head which at that speed would most likely have been fatal and he did not have an answer to that.''

Mr Hunter said there were similar incidents which happened in The Lakes last year.

''This is high risk behaviour at its worst,'' he said.

The driver received a $600 instant fine but unfortunately there was no offence committed by the skateboarder himself.