TOP STORY: Joyride ends in tears

An eight-hour, 360km joyride that reached speeds of up to 130km/h yesterday ended in tears for three teenagers who ran away from CYF care.
The 14-year-old male driver and his two passengers - a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy - were to face a raft of driving charges in the Hastings Youth Court today.
After stealing a 1993 Toyota Levin in Hamilton early on Thursday morning, the trio took off on a wild cross-country adventure.
At 4.09am on Thursday, the speeding car attracted the attention of Tokoroa police who gave chase, but the young driver managed to elude his pursuers.
Less than an hour later, at 4.58am, Taupo patrols took over the pursuit.
Four minutes later, police abandoned the chase as the car sped down Lake Terrace - a 50km/h zone - at speeds of up to 130km/h.
'We pulled out because of the manner of driving and patrols carried on to set up road blocks at Turangi, but obviously they turned left onto SH5 towards Napier," Taupo Sergeant Russell O'Brien said.
The car and its occupants continued on, their antics going undetected for over seven hours until 12.30pm yesterday, when the vehicle was spotted by a highway patrol officer at Otane, about 20 minutes' south of Havelock North.
By 12.45pm, road spikes were in place at Websters' Lime Works, on Crystal Road, off Middle Road, just outside the village.
Hastings constable Damon Horrocks said the end to the teens' 360km highway caper had been prolonged by the driver's determination to carry on, no matter what.
"He wasn't going that fast (when he ran over the spikes). I don't know what speed, but probably 60 to 80km/h in a 100k/h area.
"I could see his tyres deflate and thought, 'this is all over now' - but he kept going."
Tony Baird, parks foreman at Hastings District Council, looked up from his work when he heard the sound of tyre rims running on tarseal as the stolen Toyota approached.
The car was not travelling very fast, probably around 50 km/hour, Mr Baird said.
The silver two-door Levin went the wrong way around the roundabout as it turned right from Willowpark Road South into Southampton Street, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a car coming the other way and flattening a road sign.
Two police cars and a dog van forced the car to a stop, using a pincer-type movement. The chase came to an end in Southampton Street, about 20 metres from Hastings Central School.
Emerging from the vehicle in only silk boxers and sneakers, the "sullen" driver reluctantly surrendered to police.
He and his companions were then taken into custody, Constable Horrocks said.
"Right up to the end, he was still trying to drive. The fuel gauge was right, right down.
"The backseat passenger was bawling his eyes out; he looked very young. The girl was really upset."
When towtruck drivers removed the damaged Toyota Levin, police were surprised by the lack of damage - just some missing paint and scrapes - to their cars.
Constable Horrocks admitted the young tearaway had handled the stolen vehicle remarkably well, given the circumstances. "He did incredibly well for a 14-year-old," he said.