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A pair of fugitives have apparently swum across an estuary in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour as they fled police, following a frenetic car chase that resembled scenes from a Hollywood action movie this morning.
The allegedly stolen car they were in was being chased by two police cars and a police van when it hit a 23-year-old police officer laying road spikes at a Takapuna intersection about 4am, sending him flying to the air.
About 10 to 15 minutes later, the car, with its tyres burst and sparks flying from the wheel rims, crashed through a barrier and drove off the end of a wharf at Beach Haven and plunged into the rocky estuary.
Police later caught a man who came out of the water at Greenhithe, a few hundred metres across the estuary.
The 28-year-old was charged with burglary and unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle. He will appear in the North Shore District Court tomorrow and could face further charges.
Police were still looking for a male and a female, and perhaps others, who also ran from the car.
A couple were reported to be asking for directions in Tauhinu Rd, Greenhithe about 2pm today, said Detective Sergeant Scott Armstrong of North Shore police.
The man was described as Maori of medium height and build with pale skin and in his 20s. He was wearing just a pair of shorts.
The woman was also described as Maori with shoulder length black hair and wearing shorts and a white top. Her age was not known.
The chase started before 4am in the Albany industrial area, about 8km from where it ended, when a police dog handler spotted a car acting suspiciously, area commander Inspector Les Paterson told Radio New Zealand.
Just moments before, the car's occupants had committed a crime in a nearby premises, he said.
When the officer went to stop the car it took off and a "moderate speed" pursuit between 70km/h and 115km/h followed.
The car then ran over police spikes and swerved sharply as it then struck the constable. The officer was pretty sore with extensive bruises and cuts but appeared to be making a good recovery, Mr Paterson said.
Meanwhile, the car, with at least one or two tyres flattened , slowed down to 60km/h or 70km/h but continued to flee from police.
Mr Paterson said it went down very long road and drove through a barrier onto the Beach Haven wharf, straight out off the end of the wharf, dropping 3m or 4m onto the rocky estuary.
Officers ran to the end of the wharf just in time to see three people run out into the water. The tide was halfway in and they did not give chase.
Another person was immediately caught at the scene.
It took police some time to figure out how he was involved but it turned out he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" and happened to be in the area stealing outboard motors, Mr Paterson said.
He was arrested and will be charged with theft of outboard motors.
A crane recovered the vehicle from the mudflats at Beach Haven. Police would not reveal what sort of car it was.
- NZPA
