Burn out in central Whangārei narrowly misses public, Northland police say

A burnout on Saturday night resulted in the vehicle being impounded. Photo / Northland Police

An 18-year-old male has been referred to Te Pae Oranga after a “dangerous” stunt in central Whangārei which police say could have gone very wrong.

In the early hours of Saturday, the man was in his ute on Vine St when he attempted a “dangerous burnout” mere meters metres away from members of the public.

Northland police said the act created a large amount of noise and smoke.

“It was only by chance that someone wasn’t hit by the vehicle and injured.”

The driver of the vehicle was identified through CCTV footage that captured the event.

An image posted on Northland Police’s Facebook page shows large plumes of smoke billowing from beneath the car and engulfing a group of onlookers. They were located just a few metres away from the vehicle.

Onlookers were just a few metres away from the vehicle. Photo / Northland Police

Police found the driver and impounded his vehicle. He was referred to Te Pae Oranga, which is a collaborative initiative between police and iwi/Māori partners to help people get their lives back on track while holding them to account for their offending. It is available to people of all ethnicities.

Brodie Stone is the education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.