Teens in police pursuit in Far North

[object HTMLTextAreaElement]

Five teenagers in a stolen car, including a 14-year-old passenger, were involved in a pursuit lasting 45 minutes that ended off Kaitaia's main street.

The incident left other motorists shaken and thankful no one was injured following the pursuit which saw the tyres of the fleeing vehicle spiked.

Sergeant Phil Halton said the car was stolen from Whangarei Hospital on Monday and was noticed again by a Kaikohe officer patrolling just after midday on State Highway 1 near Okaihau yesterday.

Police believe the group were involved in a theft from a liquor store in Kaikohe.

A pursuit began but police stopped until another officer near Maungamuka spotted the car again. The vehicle was spiked as it past over a bridge on the northern side of Maungamuka but it continued on.

One motorist said the fleeing car was behind him during the pursuit.

"I pulled over for the cops not realising the car behind me was the one they were chasing. They were throwing drinks out the window. Me and my kids were quite shaken up," he said.

"Glad they didn't hurt anyone."

Another person on Facebook said they heard the car go past and it "sounded like they were on the rims".

Rach Desmond said she saw police chasing a little silver car. "Just fuelled up and they got chased right through main street," she said.

Police followed the vehicle through Kaitaia before it stopped near the intersection of North Rd and Pukepoto Rd.

Five teens, aged 14, 15 and three 17-year-olds, were taken to Kaitaia police station and spoken to. The driver was thought to be a 17-year-old boy.

It is not the first police pursuit involving teenagers this summer holiday season.

On December 29, five teenagers crashed into a roadside barrier at the intersection of SH1 and Portland Rd, south of Whangarei about 5.45am.

Within five minutes of police arriving, the teenagers were arrested including two girls, aged 15 and 16, and three boys, aged 14, 15 and 17. All of them came from Auckland.