Car fails to stop at Whangārei Hospital barrier while another flees police in Kaikohe

Two cases of poor decision-making behind the wheel by Northland drivers resulted in police attention and property damage this week.

One car came to rest against a house, the other crashed to an abrupt stop against the fence outside a police officer's house.

It was a case of pushing the wrong pedal for the first driver — the accelerator instead of the brake — as she tried to put her ticket in the barrier release machine at Whangārei Hospital carpark.

Instead of stopping, the 84-year-old female driver shot across busy Maunu Rd, through a garden before hitting the exterior brick wall of a house, about 2.15pm yesterday.

The impact caused the wall of the house to bend, but fortunately no one was injured and there was no collision on the major thoroughfare.

Senior Constable Greg Chisnall was at the scene to help the woman and organise a tow truck to remove her car.

Meanwhile, a fleeing driver had the tyres of his vehicle spiked but continued to drive with the rubber flying off while doing loops of a Northland town.

The allegedly joy-riding came to an arresting end when the car crashed into a police officer's fence.

Sergeant Dylan Robinson, of Kaikohe police, said officers tried to stop a Nissan Skyline vehicle on Lake Rd, near Okaihau, about 2.50pm on Wednesday. However, the driver had other ideas.

The driver, along with a female passenger, allegedly fled from police along State Highway 1 and Te Pua Rd. It's alleged the driver reached speeds of up to 155kmh from Okaihau to Kaikohe.

Police successfully deployed spikes and punctured both front tyres, however the vehicle continued to drive dangerously.

The red Nissan was then driven around Kaikohe township several times.

As the vehicle entered a private driveway, possibly in a bid to get to a park on Raihara Street, the driver lost control and the car crashed into a wooden fence owned by a police officer.

The driver then allegedly tried to flee on foot but a police officer gave chase and arrested him at a neighbouring property. Robinson said the entire incident lasted about 25 minutes.

A 25-year-old Kawakawa man has been charged with aggravated failing to stop, dangerous driving and wilful damage, and was scheduled to appear in the Kaikohe District Court yesterday.