Fleeing drivers alarm police

The growing number of police chases in the Hawke's Bay area is beginning to alarm police.

A spike in police pursuits in the Eastern District has prompted Hawke's Bay's top road cop to warn of the consequences for fleeing drivers.

Hawke's Bay road policing Senior Sergeant Greg Brown said he was concerned about a "growing trend" of police chases in the region.

In the past two years there had been an average of nine pursuits per month, but in December last year and January this year there were 12 and 13 cases respectively of drivers fleeing police.

Figures released to Hawke's Bay Today under the Official Information Act also showed there were a total of 92 cases of drivers fleeing police last year.

Mr Brown said in the most recent example, a 41-year-old Hastings man was arrested this month after it was alleged he "deliberately drove" at a police officer, missing him by "a couple of metres," on Farndon Rd, Hastings.

He had fled police when he was caught speeding near Pakowhai Rd.

Road spikes were employed twice during the chase, with the driver evading the first set and damaging his car's left tyres on the second set. He managed to escape to his Manuka St residence, where he was later apprehended.

The man is due to appear in Hastings District Court this month facing several charges, including driving while disqualified, reckless driving and possession of a firearm.

The incident was similar to a hit and run in Clive in December last year.

A 28-year-old Napier man allegedly ran down an officer with his car at a checkpoint, before fleeing the scene.

He is due to appear in Hastings District Court again this month, charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The officer received injuries to his leg, face and arms.

Mr Brown urged motorists to consider the consequences of failing to stop for police.

"First of all they're putting themselves at risk, and often it's for a very minor matter. They'll face more significant charges [if they flee police] than if they stop."

Fleeing drivers were also a danger to the cars around them.

In January, a trail of destruction was left in Copeland Rd, Akina, after a pursuit through central Hastings.

A utility vehicle which had been reported stolen a few days earlier was spotted by police with false registration plates. The driver refused to pull over and the car was pursued through the city until it failed to take a corner, rolling and colliding with a parked car.

The three teenage occupants were uninjured.

Mr Brown said only 13 per cent of pursuits happened because a car was stolen, which suggested most drivers were fleeing police because of driver licence issues, such as being disqualified or unlicensed.

"Police can and do impound a vehicle that is involved in a fleeing driver incident for 28 days, so there is no benefit for the driver who may be forbidden or disqualified in that respect. All they are doing is putting themselves at risk and adding more serious charges to the situation. Fleeing drivers are regularly charged with reckless or dangerous driving, which immediately exposes them to the possibility of being imprisoned."

He said one in five pursuits resulted in a collision of some sort.

"If a fleeing driver crashed into someone and killed them, they could easily face a manslaughter charge and have to live with the consequences."