News in brief: driver flees after crash, drunk drivers nabbed

Whangarei police are seeking the driver who allegedly fled after crashing the car he was driving. The crash happened at the intersection of Otaika Rd and Raumanga Valley Rd about 10pm on Tuesday. Sergeant Ryan Gray said the speeding car was travelling north when it hit a curb and crashed into what was believed to be a power pole. The driver got out and allegedly attempted to get into a camper van before running away on foot. The car was not extensively damaged.

Name to be released

Northland police are today likely to name a man who died in a house fire in Waimamaku on New Year's Eve. Police and fire crews from Rawene, Omapere, Kaikohe and Dargaville attended to the fatal house fire on Wekaweka Rd, about 8.40pm on Monday. Sergeant Ryan Gray said police were going through normal procedures to identify the dead man. He said his name was likely to be publicly released today.

Drink drivers caught

Five drink drivers were nabbed at an early morning New Year's Day checkpoint on the outskirts of Whangarei. They were stopped on Ngunguru Rd between 6am and 8am on Tuesday and all were expected to appear in the Whangarei District Court this week. Sergeant Ryan Gray said 12 drivers were found with excess breath alcohol at checkpoints throughout Northland between 12pm on Monday and 11.30am yesterday. That figure included the five drivers detected at the Ngunguru Rd checkpoint. All recorded low-level readings.

Tree cuttings fire

A large pile of mulch and tree cuttings ignited a fire at a landscaping supplies company in Whangarei. Three fire appliances from Whangarei responded and put out the fire at Greenfingers Landscape Supplies on Winger Cres, Kamo, about 8.45am yesterday.No neighbouring properties were threatened.

Drivers still using phones

The CCTV monitors at the Kaitaia police station are having a busy holiday period. Nothing of great note had been spotted as of last week, although the number of drivers seen illegally using cellphones prompted a warning that offenders could expect to receive a written warning, and may face prosecution.