A shopper found himself in the middle of a police chase yesterday afternoon.
A shopper found himself in the middle of a police chase yesterday afternoon.
A routine trip to the supermarket nearly ended in disaster for a Napier resident who found himself in the middle of a dramatic police chase.
Paul Pay said he was about to drive out of the Munroe St Countdown supermarket's car park yesterday afternoon, when a car being pursued bypolice came "screaming past," missing him by about one metre.
"I was about to pick up my boy from school. I went to the old Countdown in Napier and as I'm getting back in the car, I'd literally put it in drive and taken my foot off the brake, this black car comes screeching around the corner. It was close - I could see the driver inside, this young guy looking scared.
"He came barrelling around the roundabout, dodged and weaved about the Countdown car park, with a police car following very close behind, sirens wailing.
"If I had been about two seconds earlier, he would have slammed into my car."
Senior Sergeant Ross Smith of the Eastern District Command Centre said the brief chase, which happened about 3pm, ended when the driver stopped his vehicle and tried to flee on foot through Clive Square. He was arrested soon afterwards.
Mr Pay said he still managed to pick up his son from school on time.
