A stolen vehicle was involved in a police chase through Pahiatua on Thursday and ended up driving along railway tracks at Mangamutu and becoming stuck.
Local resident Nikki O'Leary noticed the driver dumping rubbish that morning at Ngawapurua - "I got mad," she said "and alerted police as there was a registration paper that didn't match the number plate of the vehicle."
"Driving through Pahiatua that afternoon I observed a white Ford Courier ute similar to the stolen vehicle going in the opposite direction," Pahiatua police constable Scott Peel said.
"I turned around and managed to get behind it and confirmed the number plate matched those of the vehicle seen dumping rubbish that morning."
Peel tried to stop the vehicle as it was proceeding down Mangahao Rd.
The vehicle fled at high speed, undertook one vehicle, overtook two others on the wrong side of the road, getting up to 100km on a 50kph speed zone. It crossed the centre line over the town bridge forcing oncoming traffic to take evasive action.
Approaching Fonterra Dairy Factory the driver decided to turn left on to the railway line and drove 1.5km. The pursuit was abandoned and other police units were advised of the actions.
"I drove along Scarborough Rd with the railway tracks running parallel and observed the vehicle still travelling along the railway line when it got stuck on the tracks," said Peel.
Thirty minutes later the driver was still attempting to push through where he was stuck. Police went on to a local's property to get on to the railway line either side of the vehicle.
A male in his early 20s was arrested and appeared in court today.