High speed Hawke's Bay police chase ends with crash and arrest

A person was arrested after a police chase came to an abrupt end between Poukawa and Hastings yesterday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Two teenagers were arrested after separate high-speed chases through the streets of Hawke's Bay yesterday.

One ended when a vehicle crashed into a police car on State Highway 2 between Poukawa and Hastings.

Local resident Harrison Cater was in his Gordon Rd driveway when he heard the car speeding towards Maraekakaho Rd.

"I heard it coming and then saw it fly past and waited for a bang,. Luckily there were no kids chasing a ball or crossing the road at the time."

He said the SUV was travelling about 95km/h on the wrong side of the road.

"He was seriously flying, it sounded like a jet, but also the vehicle sounded very unhealthy, I'm guessing due to it being flogged so hard."

Cater said the vehicle made an "extremely dangerous manoeuvre past two cars right outside Raureka primary school through a pedestrian crossing".

A police spokeswoman said the 17-year-old male driver failed to stop for officers on Queen St about 10am and a pursuit was initiated.

"The pursuit was abandoned shortly after due to the manner of driving and inquiries were conducted to locate the vehicle."

She said it was later seen driving dangerously on SH2 near Paki Paki.

"A patrol vehicle, stationed at the end of roadworks on this road, was rammed by the vehicle as it passed and the driver was subsequently apprehended. The officer who was in the patrol car is receiving medical attention."

The chase ended when a vehicle crashed into a stationery police car. Photo / Paul Taylor

A bystander who saw the car racing towards Hastings' Warren St South shortly after the chase began believed the driver was reaching speeds of 80km/h in the 50km/h zone.

Another witness, who did not wish to be named, said the car came "absolutely screaming down" on SH2.

He said there was a line of traffic about a kilometre long pulled up at the road works on the Waipukurau side.

A vehicle screamed past road works on State Highway 2 between Poukawa and Hastings during the chase. Photo / Paul Taylor

"It sped straight down inside the traffic, through a couple of cones and about a kilometre down the road it crashed."

Another police chase was reported about 10 hours earlier, just before 1am, on Maraekakaho Rd.

A police spokeswoman said that vehicle was spiked on Frederick St.

A local resident believed young teenager was driving the car, but that was not confirmed at the time.

Later in the day a police spokesperson confirmed that a 15-year-old male had been arrested and charged with the theft of a vehicle, failing to stop and dangerous driving.

The teenager appeared in the Hastings Youth Court yesterday, with the next appearance scheduled for the 19th of July.

Yesterday's chases follow on from the deaths last month of two 15-year-olds after a police chase in Palmerston North.

And just over a week earlier than that, on May 19, 15-year-old Bailey Patmore died in the boot of a stolen car after a police chase north of Wellington.

Closer to home on May 28 police pursued a Holden Commodore after they spotted it driving dangerously on SH2 at Awatoto about 10pm but abandoned the chase in the Napier CBD due to safety concerns.